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^40TES    OM    THE    BOOK    OF    GENESIS 


NOTES 


THE  BOOK  OF  GENESIS. 


Tliinojs  new  and  old. 


FIRST    AMERICAN    EDITION, 


PHILADELPHIA : 

HENEY    LONGSTRETH, 

1336  CHESTNUT  STREET. 

1863. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTERI.                

(( 

II          

« 

HI 

<t 

IV.,  Y 

(( 

VL— IX 

it 

X.*     

i( 

XI 

(( 

XII 

" 

Xllt 

« 

XTV 

(( 

XV ... 

ii   . 

XVI 

(( 

XVII 

« 

XVIII. 

(( 

XIX 

(( 

XX 

« 

XXI 

(( 

XXII. 

<i 

XXIII 

« 

XXIV 

(( 

XXV 

^1 

XXVI. 

(( 

XXVII.— XXXV.... 

u 

XXXVI 

a 

XXXVIII.— L.      ... 

PAQB 
13 

29 
42 
64 
90 
115 
118 
123 
140 
151 
158 
171 
181 
189 
197 
205 
210 
217 
230 
235 
248 
251 
256 
300 
300 


111 


PEEPACE. 


To  all  who  love  and  relish  the  simple  gospel  of  the 
grace  of  God,  I  would  earnestly  recommend  the 
following  "  Notes  on  the  Book  of  Genesis."  They 
are  characterized  by  a  deep-toned  evangelical  spirit. 
Having  had  the  privilege  of  reading  them  in  MS., 
I  can  speak  as  one  who  has  found  profit  therefrom. 
Man's  complete  ruin  in  sin,  and  God's  perfect 
remedy  in  Christ,  are  fully,  clearly,  and  often 
strikingljr,  presented,  especially  in  the  earlier 
chapters. 

To  Christ's  servants  in  the  gospel  sound,  forcible 
statements  as  to  v/hat  sin  is  and  what  grace  is,  are 
deeply  valuable  'in  the  present  time,  when  so  much 
that  is  merely  superficial  is  abroad. 

The  gospel  of  Christ,  as  perfectly  meeting  man's 
nature,  condition,  and  character,  is  comparatively 
little  known,  and  less  proclaimed.  Hence,  the 
numerous  doubts,  fears,  and  unsettled  questions 
which  fill  the  hearts  and  perplex  the  consciences 
of  many  of  God's  dear  children.  Until  the  soul  is 
led  to  see  that  the  entire  question  of  sin  and  the 
claims   of    divine    holiness  were   all    and  forever 

V 


VI  PREFACE. 

settled  on  the  cross,  sweet,  quiet  rest  of  conscience 
will  be  but  little  known. 

Nothing  can  meet  the  urgent  cry  of  a  troubled 
conscience  but  the  one  perfect  sacrifice  of  Christ ; 
offered  to  God  for  us,  on  the  cross.  "  For  even 
Christ  our  passover  is  sacrificed  for  usP  There, 
and  there  alone  it  will  find  a  perfect  ansiver  to  its 
every  claim ;  because  there  it  will  find,  through 
believing,  all  ground  of  doubt  and  fear  removed, 
the  whole  question  of  sin  eternally  settled,  every 
divine  requirement  fully  met,  and  a  solid  founda- 
tion laid  for  present,  settled  peace,  in  the  presence 
of  divine  holiness:  Christ  "  delivered  for  our 
offences,  and  raised  again  for  our  justification," 
settles  every  thing.  The  moment  we  believe  the 
gospel,  we  are  saved,  and  ought,  to  be  divinely 
happy.  "He  that  believeth  on  the  Son  hath  ever- 
lasting life."     (Rom.  iv.  v.;  John  iii.) 

We  see  the  greatness  of  God's  love  to  the  sinner 
in  his  judgment  of  sin  in  the  person  of  his  own 
dear  Son  on  the  cross.  There  God,  in  perfect 
grace  to  us,  dealt  with  sin  according  to  his  infinite 
holiness  and  justice.  He  went  down  to  the  depths 
of  our  ruin  and  all  our  sin,  measured  it,  judged  it, 
and  put  it  forever  away,  root  and  branch,  by 
shedding  the  precious  blood  of  the  spotless  Victim. 


PEEFACE.  Vii 

"  He  condemned  sin  in  the  flesli ;"  that  is,  he  there 
condemned  the  evil  root  of  sin  which  is  in  our  flesh, 
— our  carnal  nature.  But  he  also  "made  an  end 
of  sins," — of  the  actual  sins  of  every  believer. 
Thus,  between  God  and  Christ  alone  the  entire 
question  of  sin  was  gone  into,  and  finally  settled 
on  the  cross.  "  Simon  Peter  said  unto  him,  Lord 
whither  goest  thou  ?  Jesus  answered  him,  Whither 
I  go  thou  canst  not  folloiu  me  noiv^  Jnst  as 
Abraham  and  Isaac  were  alone  on  the  top  of  the 
mountain  in  the  land  of  Moriah,  so  were  God  and 
Christ  alone,  amidst  the  solemnities  and  solitudes 
of  Calvary.  The  only  part  we  had  in  the  cross  was, 
that  our  sins  were  there.  Jesus  alone  bore  the  full 
weight  of  their  judgment.  (Comp.  Dan.  ix.  24; 
Bom.  viii.  3 ;  2  Cor.  v.  21 ;  Heb.  ix.  26,  28.) 

Whenever  this  blessed  truth  is  learnt  from  God's 
own  word,  and  maintained  in  the  soul  by  faith, 
through  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  all  is  peace, 
joy,  and  victory.  It  takes  the  believer  completely 
away  from  himself,  from  his  doubts,  fears,  and 
questions.  And  his  eye  now  gazes  on  Oxe  who, 
by  his  finished  work,  has  laid  the  foundation  of 
divine  and  everlasting  righteousness,  and  who  is 
now  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Majesty  in  the  highest, 
as   the   perfect   definition    of    every  true   believer. 


Vlll  PKEFACE. 

With  him,  with  him  alone,  the  believer's  heart  is 
now  to  be  occupied. 

Faith  is  fully  assured  that  when  God  puts  away 
sin,  it  must  be  put  away  entirely ;  that,  when  Jesus 
exclaimed,  "  It  is  finished,"  the  work  was  done, 
— God  was  glorified,  the  sinner  saved,  the  whole 
power  of  Satan  completely  destroj^ed,  and  peace 
established  on  the  most  solid  basis.  Hence,  we 
find,  "  The  God  of  peace  brought  again  from  the 
dead  our  Lord  Jesus,  that  great  Shepherd  of  the 
sheep,  through  the  blood  of  the  everlasting  cove- 
nant." He  was  the  God  of  judgment  at  the  cross. 
He  is  the  God  of  23eace  at  the  opening  grave. 
Every  enemy  has  been  vanquished,  and  eternal 
peace  proclaimed,  through  the  blood  of  his  cross. 
"  He  was  raised  up  from  the  dead  by  the  glory  of 
the  Father."  He  rose  "  in  the  power  of  an  endless 
life,"  and  associates  every  believer  with  himself,  in 
the  power  of  that  life  in  resurrection.  Having  been 
cleansed  by  his  blood,  they  are  accepted  in  his 
person.     (See  Eph.  i.  6  ;  Col.  ii.  10  ;  1  John  v.  20.) 

Jesus,  having  thus  fully  accomplished  the  work 
that  was  given  him  to  do,  and  gone  np  on  high, 
the  Holy  Ghost  came  down  as  a  witness  to  us  that 
redemption  was  finished,  the  believer  ''perfected  for- 
ever "  and  Christ  glorified  in  heaven. 


PKEFACE.  i± 

The  apostles  then  began  to  publish  the  glad 
tidings  of  salvation  to  the  chief  of  sinners.  The 
subject  of  their  preaching  was,  ^'Jesus  and  the 
resurrection^  And  all  who  believed  on  him  as 
risen  and  glorified  were  immediately  and  eternally 
saved.  "And  this  is  the  record  that  God  hath 
given  to  us  eternal  life,  and  this  life  is  in  his  Son : 
he  that  hath  the  Son  hath  life,  and  he  that  hath 
not  the  Son  of  God  hath  not  life."  (1  John  v.  11, 
12.)  There  is  no  blessing  outside  of,  or  apart  from, 
the  PEKSON  OF  Christ — the  heavenly  Man  ;  ''for 
in  him  dwelleth  all  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead 
bodily,"  Ever  since  that  time,  God  has  been 
■  placing  before  the  sinner,  in  connection  with  his 
gospel,  a  risen  living  Christ,  as  the  alone  object  of 
faith,  and  "the  end  of  the  law  for  righteousness  to 

EVERY  ONE  THAT  BELIEA^ETH."      (Eom.  X.) 

When  the  eye  is  kept  on  this  heavenly  Christ,  all 
is  light,  joy,  and  peace ;  but  if  it  be  turned  in  on 
self,  and  occupied  with  what  it  finds  there,  and  what 
\i  feels,  or  with  any  tiling  whatever  that  may  come 
between  the  heart  and  Christ,  all  will  be  darkness, 
uncertainty,  and  unhappiness  in  the  soul.  Oli,  how 
blessedly  simple  is  the  gospel  of  the  grace  of  God  ! 
The  burden  of  its  message  to  the  lost  sinner  is, 
"Come,  for  all  things  are  now  ready  ;"  the  question 


X  PREFACE. 

of  sin  is  not  raised, — ^' Grace  reigns  tlirougli  right- 
eousness unto  eternal  life  by  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord."  Christ,  having  perfectly  satisfied  God 
about  sin,  the  only  question  now  between  God  and 
your  heart  is  this :  Are  you  j^erfecily  satisfied  ivith 
his  Christ  as  the  alone  portion  of  your  soulf 
This  is  the  one  grand  question  of  the  gospel. 
Christ  has  settled  every  other  to  the  glory  of  God ; 
and  now  the  Father  is  going  to  ''  make  a  marriage 
for  his  Son," — to  honor,  exalt,  and  glorify  him. 
Is  your  heart  in  full  harmony  with  God's  on  this 
point?  Work  is  not  required  at  your  hands; 
strength  is  not  needed;  fruit  is  not  demanded. 
God  has  provided  every  thing,  and  prepared  every 
thing.  It  is  all  grace, — the  pure  grace  of  God. 
''Only  believe;"  "Come,  for  all  things  are  now 
ready."  The  marriage-supper;  the  wedding-garment, 
royal  honors,  the  Father's  presence,  fulness 
of  joy,  and  pleasures  for  evermore — all  are  ready, 
— ready  now — "ready  to  be  revealed."  Dear 
reader,  are  you  ready  ?  Oh,  solemn  question  ! 
Are  you  ready  ?  Have  you  believed  the  message  ? 
Have  you  embraced  the  Son  ?  Are  you  ready  to 
'•'  Crown  him  Lord  of  all  ?"  The  table  is  spread, 
the  house  is  filling  fast:  ^'yet  there  is  room." 
Already  you  have  heard  the  midnight  cry,  "  Behold 


PREFACE.  XI 

the  bridegroom  cometh,  go  ye  out  to  meet  him," 
"  and  they  that  were  ready  went  in  loith  liim  to 
the  marriage,  AXD  the  door  was  shut."  "  Be  ye 
therefore  ready  also  :  for  the  Son  of  man  cometh 
at  an  hour  when  ye  think  not."  (Matt,  xxii.,  xxv, : 
Luke  xii.  xiv.) 

But  I  must  now  refer  my  reader  to  the  "  Notes" 
themselves,  where  he  will  find  this  most  blessed 
subject  fully,  frequently,  and  pointedly  stated,  and 
many  other  subjects  of  deep  practical  importance ; 
such  as  the  distinctive  position  and  perfect  unity  of 
the  Church  of  God  ;  real  saintship ;  practical  dis- 
ciplesliip  ;  sonship,  &c.,  &c. 

With  the  exception  of  the  four  gospels,  I  suppose 
there  is  no  book  in  the  Bible  more  deeply  interest- 
ing than  the  Book  of  Genesis.  It  comes  to  us  with 
all  the  freshness  of  God's  first  book  to  his  people. 
The  contents  are  varied,  highly  instructive,  and 
most  precious  to  the  student  of  God's  entire  book. 

These  "Notes"   are   again   laid   at   the   Master's 

feet  in   earnest  prayer   that  he  would  take  them 

up  and  send  them  forth   under  the  stamp  of  his 

own  divine  approval.  Amen. 

A.M. 
London, 


PREFATOKY    NOTE    TO     THE 
FOURTH    EDITION. 


I  CAN"NOT  suffer  this  Fourth  Edition  to  go  forth 
without  an  expression  of  heartfelt  thankfulness  to 
the  Lord  for  his  goodness  in  making  use  of  suah 
a  feeble  instrumentality  for  the  profit  of  souls  and 
the  spread  of  his  own  simple  truth. 

It  is  an  unspeakable  privilege  to  be  permitted  in 
any  small  degree  to  minister  to  the  souls  of  those 
who  are  so  precious  to  Christ.  "Lovest  thou  me?. . . 
Feed  my  sheep."  Such  were  the  touching  words  of 
the  departing  Shepherd ;  and,  assuredly,  when  they 
fall  powerfully  upon  fhe  heart,  they  must  rouse  all 
the  energies  of  one's  moral  being  to  carry  out,  in 
every  possible  way,  the  gracious  desire  breathed 
therein.  To  gather  and  to  feed  the  lambs  and  sheep 
of  the  flock  of  Christ  are  the  most  exalted  ser- 
vices in  which  any  one  can  be  engaged.  Not  a 
single  honest  effort  put  forth  for  the  achievement 
of  such  noble  ends  will  be  forgotten  in  that  day 
*'■  when  the  Chief  Shepherd  shall  appear." 

May  God  the  Holy  Ghost  fill  the  heart,  anoint 
the  lips,  and  consecrate  the  pen  of  every  servant  of 
Christ,  so  that  streams  of  pure  and  living  truth 
may  flow  in  every  direction  for  the  refreshment 
of  all  those  who  are  on  their  way  to  glory. 

C.  H.  M. 

Dublin,  Mat/,  1861. 


xu 


NOTES 


THE  BOOK  OF  GENESIS. 


CHAPTER   I. 

These  is  something  peculiarly  striking  in  the  man- 
ner in  which  the  Holy  Ghost  opens  this  sublime  book. 
He  introduces  us,  at  once,  to  God,  in  the  essential  ful- 
ness of  his  being,  and  the  solitariness  of  his  acting. 
All  prefatory  matter  is  omitted.  It  is  to  God  we  are 
brought.  We  hear  him,  as  it  were,  breaking  earth's 
silence,  and  shining  in  upon  earth's  darkness,  for  the 
purpose  of  developing  a  sphere  in  which  he  might  dis- 
play his  eternal  power  and  Godhead. 

There  is  nothing  here  on  which  idle  curiosity  may 
feed, — nothing  on  which  the  poor  human  mind  may 
speculate.  There  is  the  sublimity  and  reality  of  divijsE 
TRUTH,  in  its  moral  power  to  act  on  the  heart,  and  on 
the  understanding.  It  could  never  come  within  the 
range  of  the  Spirit  of  God  to  gratify  idle  curiosity  by 
the  presentation  of  curious  theories.  Geologists  may 
explore  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  and  draw  forth  from 
thence  materials  from  which  to  add  to,  and,  in  some 
2  13 


14  GENESIS 

instances,  to  contradict,  the  Divine  record.  They  may 
speculate  upon  fossil  remains  ;  but  the  disciple  hangs, 
with  sacred  delight,  over  the  page  of  inspiration.  He 
reads,  believes,  and  worships.  In  this  spirit  may  ^VQ 
^pursue  our  study  of  the  profound  book  which  now  lies 
open  before  us.  May  we  know  what  it  is  to  "  inquire 
in  the  temple."  May  our  investigations  of  the  precious 
contents  of  holy  scripture  be  ever  prosecuted  in  the 
true  spirit  of  worship. 

''In  the  beginning,  God  created  the  heavens  and  the 
earth.''  The  first  sentence  in  the  divine  canon  sets  us 
in  the  presence  of  him  who  is  the  infinite  source  of  all 
true  blessedness.  There  is  no  elaborate  argument  in 
proof  of  the  existence  of  God.  The  Holy  Ghost  could 
not  enter  upon  any  thing  of  the  kind.  God»  reveals 
himself.  He  makes  -^  himself  known  by  his  works. 
"  The  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  God  ;  and  the 
firmament  showeth  his  handy-work."  "  All  thy  works 
shall  praise  thee,  0  Lord."  "  Great  and  marvellous  are 
"thy  works.  Lord  God  Almighty."  None  but  an  infidel 
or  an  atheist  would  seek  an  argument  in  proof  of  the 
Being  of  One  who,  by  the  word  of  his  mouth,  called 
worlds  into  existence,  and  declared  himself  the  All- 
wise,  the  Almighty,  and  the  everlasting  God.  Who 
but  "  God  "  could  "  create  "  any  thing.  "  Lift  up  your 
eyes  on  high,  and  behold  who  hath  created  these  things, 
that  bringeth  out  their  host  by  number  ;  he  calleth 
them  all  by  names,  by  the  greatness  of  his  might,  for 
that  he  is  strong  in  power;  not  one  faileth."  (Is.  xl. 
26.)  "The  gods  of  the  heathen  are  idols,  but  the 
Lord  made  the  heavens."  In  the  Book  of  Job  (chap, 
xxxviii.-xli.)  we  have  an  appeal  of  the  very  grandest 


CHAPTER   I.  15 

description,  on  the  part  of  Jehovah  himself,  to  the 
work  of  creation,  as  an  unanswerable  argument  in  proof 
of  his  infinite  superiority  ;  and  this  appeal,  while  it 
sets  before  the  understanding  the  most  vivid  and  con- 
vincing demonstration  of  God's  omnipotence,  touches 
the  heart,  also,  by  its  amazing  condescension.  The 
majesty  and  the  love,  the  power  and  the  tenderness,  are 
all  divine. 

**  And  the  earth  was  without  form,  and  void;  and 
darkness  was  upon  the  face  of  the  deep."  Here  was, 
in  good  truth,  a  scene  in  which  God  alone  could  act. 
Man,  in  the  pride  of  his  heart,  has  since  proved  himself 
but  too  ready  to  interfere  with  God  in  other  and  far 
higher  spheres  of  action;  but,  in  the  scene  before  UvS, 
man  had  no  place  until,  indeed,  he  became,  like  all  the 
rest,  the  subject  of  creative  power.  God  was  alone  in 
creation.  He  looked  forth  from  his  eternal  dwelling- 
place  of  light  upon  the  wild  waste,  and  there  beheld 
the  sphere  in  which  his  wondrous  plans  and  counsels 
were  yet  to  be  unfolded  and  brought  out — where  the 
Second  Person  of  the  Eternal  Trinity  was  yet  to  live, 
and  labor,  and  testify,  and  bleed,  and  die,  in  order  to 
display,  in  the  view  of  wondering  worlds,  the  glorious 
perfections  of  the  Godhead.  All  was  darkness  and 
chaos  ;  but  God  is  the  God  of  light  and  order.  "  God 
is  light,  and  in  him  is  no  darkness  at  all."  Darkness 
and  confusion  cannot  live  in  his  presence,  whether  we 
look  at  it  in  a  physical,  moral,  intellectual,  or  spiritual 
point  of  view. 

"The  Spirit  of  God  moved  upon  the  face  of  the 
waters."  He  sat  brooding  over  the  scene  of  his  future 
operations.     A  dark   scene,  truly ;    and  one  in  which 


16  GENESIS. 

there  was  ample  room  for  the  God  of  light  and  life  to 
act.  He  alone  could  enlighten  the  darkness,  cause  life 
to  spring  up,  substitute  order  for  chaos,  open  an  ex- 
panse between  the  waters,  where  life  might  display 
itself  without  fear  of  death.  These  were  operations 
worthy  of  God. 

"  God  said,  Let  there  be  light :  and  there  was  light." 
How  simple  !  And  yet  how  Godlike  !  ''He  spake, 
and  it  was  done.  He  commanded,  and  it  stood  fast." 
Infidelity  may  ask,  "  How  ?  where  ?  when  ?"  The 
answer  is,  "By  faith  we  understand  that  the  ^yorlds 
were  framed  by  the  word  of  God,  so  that  things  which 
are  seen  were  not  made  of  things  which  do  appear." 
(Heb.  xi.  3.)  This  satisfies  the  teachable  spirit. 
Philosophy  may  smile  contemptuously  at  this,  and  pro- 
nounce it  rude  ignorance,  or  blind  credulity,  suitable 
enough  for  an  age  of  semi-barbarism,  but  quite  un- 
worthy of  men  living  in  an  enlightened  age  of  the 
world's  history,  when  the  museum  and  the  telescope 
have  put  us  in  possession  of  facts  of  which  the  inspired 
penman  knew  nothing.  What  wisdom  !  What  learn- 
ing !  Yea,  rather,  what  folly  !  What  nonsense  ! 
What  total  inability  to  grasp  the  scope  and  design  of 
sacred  scripture  !  It,  assuredly,  is  not  God's  object  to 
make  us  astronomers  or  geologists  ;  or  to  occupy  us 
with  details  which  the  microscope  or  the  telescope  lays 
before  every  school-boy.  His  object  is  to  lead  us  into 
his  presence,  as  worshippers,  with  hearts  and  under- 
standings taught  and  duly  governed  by  his  Holy  Word. 
But  this  would  never  do  for  the  so-called  philosopher, 
who,  despising  what  ho  terms  the  vulgar  and  narrow- 
minded  prejudices  of  the  devout  disciple  of  the  Word, 


CHAPTER   I.  IT 

boldly  seizes  his  telescope,  and  therewith  scans  the 
distant  heavens,  or  travels  into  the  deep  recesses  of 
earth  in  search  of  strata,  formations  and  fossils, — all  of 
which,  according  to  his  account,  greatly  improve,  if 
they  do  not  flatly  contradict,  the  inspired  narrative. 

With  such  "oppositions  of  science  falsely  so  called," 
we  have  nothing  to  do.  We  believe  that  all  true 
discoveries,  whether  "  in  the  heavens  above,  in  the 
earth  beneath,  or  in  the  waters  under  the  earth,"  will 
harmonize  with  that  which  is  written  in  the  word  of 
God ;  and  if  they  do  not  thus  harmonize,  they  are 
perfectly  contemptible  in  the  judgment  of  every  true 
lover  of  scripture.  This  gives  great  rest  to  the  heart 
in  a  day  like  the  present,  so  productive  of  learned 
speculations  and  high-sounding  theories,  which,  alas  ! 
in  too  many  instances,  savor  of  rationalism  and 
positive  infidelity.  It  is  most  needful  to  have  the 
heart  thoroughly  established  as  to  the  fulness,  the 
authority,  the  completeness,  the  majesty,  the  plenary 
inspiration  of  the  sacred  volume.  This  will  be  found 
to  be  the  only  effectual  safeguard  against  the  rationalism 
of  Germany  and  the  superstition  of  Rome.  Accurate 
acquaintance  with,  and  profound  subjection  to,  the 
Word,  are  the  great  desiderata  of  the  present  moment. 
May  the  Lord,  in  his  great  grace,  abundantly  increase 
in  our  midst  both  the  one  and  the  other. 

"And  God  saw  the  light,  that  it  was  good:  and 
God  divided  the  light  from  the  darkness.  And  God 
called  the  light  Bay,  and  the  darkness  he  called  Night." 
Here  we  have  the  two  great  symbols  so  largely  em- 
ployed throughout  the  Word.  The  presence  of  light 
makes  the  day ;  the  absence  thereof  makes  the  night. 

B 


18  GENESIS. 

Thus  it  is  in  the  history  of  souls.  There  are  "the 
sons  of  light"  and  ''the  sons  of  darkness."  This  is  a 
most  marked  and  solemn  distinction.  All  upon  whom 
the  light  of  Life  has  shone, — all  who  have  been  effect- 
ually visited  by  the  Dayspring  from  on  high," — all 
who  have  received  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of  the 
glory  of  Grod  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ, — all  such, 
whoever  and  wherever  they  may  be,  belong  to  the  first 
class,  are  ''the  sons  of  light,  and  the  sons  of  the  day." 

On  the  other  hand,  all  who  are  still  in  nature's  dark- 
ness, nature's  blindness,  nature's  unbelief, — all  who  have 
not  yet  received  into  their  hearts,  by  faith,  the  cheering 
beams  of  the  Sun  of  righteousness,  all  such  are  still 
wrapped  in  the  shades  of  spiritual  night,  are  "  the  sons 
of  darkness,"  "the  sons  of  the  night." 

Reader,  pause  and  ask  yourself,  in  the  presence  of 
the  Searcher  of  hearts,  to  which  of  these  two  classes 
do  you,  at  this  moment,  belong.  That  you  belong  to 
either  the  one  or  the  other  is  beyond  all  question. 
You  may  be  poor,  despised,  unlettered ;  but  if,  through 
grace,  there  is  a  link  connecting  you  with  the  Son  of 
God,  "the  Light  of  the  world,"  then  you  are,  in  very 
deed,  a  son  of  the  day,  and  destined,  ere  long,  to  shine 
in  that  celestial  sphere,  that  region  of  glory,  of  which 
"  the  slain  Lamb"  will  be  the  central  sun,  forever. 
This  is  not  your  own  doing.  It  is  the  result  of  the 
counsel  and  operation  of  God  himself,  who  has  given 
you  light  and  life,  joy  and  peace,  in  Jesus,  and  his 
accomplished  sacrifice.  But  if  you  are  a  total  stranger 
to  the  hallowed  action  and  influence  of  divine  light,  if 
your  eyes  have  not  been  opened  to  behold  any  beauty 
in   the    Son   of  God,    then,   though  you   had   all   the 


CHAPTER    I.  19 

learning  of  a  Xcwton,  though  you  were  enriched  with 
all  the  treasures  of  human  philosophy,  though  you  had 
drunk  in  with  avidity  all  the  streams  of  human  science, 
though  your  name  were  adorned  with  all  the  learned 
titles  which  the  schools  and  universities  of  this  world 
could  bestow,  yet  are  you  "  a  son  of  the  night,"  "  a  sou 
of  darkness  ;"  and,  if  you  die  in  your  present  condition. 
you  will  be  involved  in  the  blackness  and  horror  of  an 
eternal  night.  Do  not,  therefore,  my  fi'iend,  read 
another  page,  until  you  have  fully  satisfied  yourself  as 
to  whether  you  belong  to  the  ''  day"  or  the  "  night." 

The  next  point  on  which  I  would  dwell  is  the  crea- 
tion of  lights.  ''And  God  said,  Let  there  be  lights 
in  the  firmament  of  the  heaven,  to  divide  the  day  from 
the  night ;  and  let  them  be  for  signs,  and  for  seasons, 
and  for  days  and  years.  And  let  them  be  for  lie-hts 
in  the  firmament  of  the  heaven,  to  give  light  upon  the 
earth :  and  it  was  so.  And  God  made  two  great  lights ; 
the  greater  light  to  rule  the  day,  and  the  lesser  light  to 
rule  the  night:  he  made  the  stars  also." 

The  sun  is  the  great  centre  of  light,  and  the  centre 
of  our  system.  Round  him  the  lesser  orbs  revolve. 
From  him,  too,  they  derive  their  light.  Hence,  he 
may,  very  legitimately,  1x3  viewed  as  an  apt  symbol  of 
Him,  who  is  soon  to  arise  with  healing  in  His  wings, 
to  gladden  the  hearts  of  those  that  fear  the  Lord.  The 
aptness  and  beauty  of  the  symbol  would  fulh  appear 
to  one  who,  having  spent  the  night  in  watching,  beholds 
the  rising  sun  gilding,  with  his  bright  beams,  the 
eastern  sky.  The  mists  and  shades  of  night  are  all 
dispersed,  and  the  whole  creation  seems  to  hail  the  re- 
turning orb  of  light.    Thus  will  it  be,  by  and  by,  when  the 


20  GENESIS, 

Sun  of  righteonsness  arises.  The  shadows  of  m'g-ht 
shall  flee  away,-  a7id  the  whole  creation  shall  be  glad- 
dened by  the  dawning  of  *'  a  morning  without  clouds,"' 
— the  opening  of  a  bright  and  never-ending  clay  of 
glory. 

The  moon,  being  in  herself  opaque,  derives  all  her 
light  from  the  sun.  She  always  reflects  the  sun's  light, 
save  when  earth  and  its  influences  intervene.*  l^o 
sooner  has  the  sun  sunk  beneath  our  horizon  than  the 
moon  presents  herself  to  receive  his  beams  and  reflect 
them  back  upon  a  dark  world ;  or  should  she  be  visible 
during  the  day,  she  always  exhibits  a  pale  light,  the 
necessary  result  of  appearing  in  the  presence  of  superior 
brightness.  True  it  is,  as  has  been  remarked,  the  world 
sometimes  intervenes;  dark  clouds,  thick  mists,  and 
chilling  vapors,  too,  -arise  from  earth^s  surface,  and 
hide  from  our  view  her  silvery  light. 

Now,  as  the  sun  is  a  beautiful  and  an  appropriate 
symbol  of  Christ,  so  the  moon  striking^ly  reminds  ns  of 
the  Church.  The  fountain  of  her  light  is  hidden  from 
view.  The  world  seeth  him  not,  but  she  sees  him ; 
and  she  is  responsible  to  reflect  his  beams  upon  a 
benighted  world.  The  world  has  no  other  way  in  which 
tc  learn  any  thing  of  Christ  but  by  the  Church.  "  Ye,'^ 
says  the  inspired  apostle,  "  are  our  epistle,  ....  known 
and  read  of  all  men."  And  again,  "Forasmuch  as  ye 
are  manifestly  declared  to  be  the  epistle  of  Christ." 
(2  Cor.  iii.  2,  3.) 

What  a  responsible  place !     How  earnestly  should  she 


*  It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  the  moon,  as  viewed  through  a  pow- 
erful telescope,  presents  the  appearance  of  one  vast  ruin  of  nature. 


CHAPTER   I.  21  . 

watch  against  every  thing  that  would  hinder  the  reflec- 
tion of  the  heavenly  light  of  Christ,  in  all  her  ways  1 
But  how  is  she  to  reflect  this  light  ?  By  allowing  it  to 
shine  upon  her,  in  its  undimmed  brightness.  If  the 
Church  only  walked  in  the  light  of  Christ,  she  would, 
assuredly,  reflect  his  light;  and  this  would  ever  keep 
her  in  her  proper  position.  The  light  of  the  moon  is 
not  her  own.  So  it  is  with  the  Church.  She  is  not 
called  to  set  herself  before  the  world.  She  is  a  simple 
debtor  to  reflect  the  light  which  she  herself  receives. 
She  is  bound  to  study,  with  holy  diligence,  the  path 
which  he  trod,  while  down  here  ;  and  by  the  energy  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  who  dwells  in  her,  to  follow  in  that 
path.  But,  alas  !  earth  with  its  mists,  its  clouds,  and 
its  vapors,  intervenes,  and  hides  the  light  and  blots 
the  epistle.  The  world  can  see  but  little  of  the  traits 
of  Christ's  character  in  those  who  call  themselves  by 
his  name ;  yea,  in  many  instances  they  exhibit  an 
humbling  contrast,  rather  than  a  resemblance.  May 
we  study  Christ  more  prayerfully,  that  so  we  may  copy 
him  more  faithfully. 

The  stars  are  distant  lights.  They  shine  in  other 
spheres,  and  have  little  connection  with  this  system, 
save  that  their  twinkling  can  be  seen.  ''  One  star  dif- 
feretli  from  another  star  in  glory."  Thus  will  it  be  in 
the  coming  kingdom  of  the  Son.  He  will  shine  forth 
in  living  and  everlasting  lustre.  His  bod}^,  the  Church, 
will  faithfully  reflect  his  beams  on  all  around ;  M'hilc 
the  saints  individually  shall  shine  in  those  spheres  which 
a  righteous  Judge  shall  allot  to  them,  as  a  reward  of 
faithful  service  during  the  dark  night  of  his  absence. 
This  thought  should  animate  us  to  a  more  ardent  and 


22  GENESIS. 

vig-oroiis  pursuit  after  conformity  to  our  absent  Lord. 
(See  Luke  xix.  12-19.) 

The  lower  orders  of  creation  are  next  introduced. 
The  sea  and  the  earth  are  made  to  teem  with  life.  Some 
may  feel  warranted  in  regarding  the  operations  of  each 
successive  day,  as  foreshadowing  the  various  dispensa- 
tions, and  their  great  characteristic  principles  of  action. 
I  would  only  remark,  as  to  this,  that  there  is  great 
need,  when  handling  the  word  in  this  way,  to  watch, 
with  holy  jealousy,  the  working  of  imagination  ;  and 
also  to  pay  strict  attention  to  the  general  analogy  of 
scripture,  else  we  may  make  sad  mistakes.  I  do  not 
feel  at  liberty  to  enter  upon  such  a  line  of  interpreta- 
tion ;  I  shall  therefore  confine  myself  to  what  I  believe 
to  be  the  plain  sense  of  the  sacred  text. 

We  shall  now  consider  man's  place,  as  set  over  the 
works  of  God's  hands.  All  having  been  set  in  order, 
one  was  needed  to  take  the  headship.  "And  God  said, 
Let  us  make  man  in  our  image,  after  our  likeness  ;  and 
let  them  have  dominion  over  the  fish  of  the  sea,  and 
over  the  fowl  of  the  air,  and  over  the  cattle,  and  over 
all  the  earth,  and  over  every  creeping  thing  that 
creepeth  upon  the  earth.  So  God  created  man  in  his 
own  image,  in  the  image  of  God  created  he  him :  male 
and  female  created  he  them.  And  God  blessed  them, 
and  God  said  unto  them,  Be  fruitful  and  multiply,  and 
replenish  the  earth,  and  subdue  it ;  and  have  dominion 
over  the  fish  of  the  sea,  and  over  the  fowl  of  tlie  air, 
and  over  cv(?ry  living  thing  that  moveth  upon  the 
earth."  My  reader  will  oliserve  the  change  from  "  him'" 
to  *'them."  We  are  not  presented  with  the  actual  fact 
of  the  formation  of  the  woman,  until  the  next  chapter ; 


CHAPTER   I.  2S 

thoup:h  here  we  find  God  blessing  "  tliem,"  and  giving 
"  them"  jointly  the  place  of  universal  government.  All 
the  inferior  orders  of  creation  were  set  under  their  joint 
dominion.  Eve  received  all  her  blessings  in  Adam. 
In  him,  too,  she  got  her  dignit}'.  Though  not  yet 
called  into  actual  existence,  she  was,  in  the  purpose  of 
God,  looked  at  as  part  of  the  man.  "  In  thy  book  were 
all  my  members  written,  which,  in  continuance  were 
fashioned,  when  as  yet  there  was  none  of  them." 

Thus  it  is  with  the  Church, — the  bride  of  the  Second 
Man.  She  was  viewed  from  all  eternity  in  Christ,  her 
Head  and  Lord ;  as  we  read  in  the  first  chapter  of 
Ephesians,  "According  as  he  hath  chosen  us  in  him, 
before  the  foundation  of  the  tvorld,  that  we  should  be 
holy  and  without  blame  before  him  in  love."  Before  a 
single  member  of  the  Church  had  yet  breathed  the 
breath  of  life,  all  were,  in  God's  eternal  mind,  pre- 
destinated to  be  conformed  to  the  image  of  his  Son." 
The  counsels  of  God  render  the  Church  necessary  to 
complete  the  mystic  man.  Hence  the  Church  is  called 
"the  fulness  [nxi^pw/xa]  of  him  that  filleth  all  in  all." 
This  is  an  amazing  title,  and  it  develops  much  of  the 
dignity,  importance,  and  glory  of  the  Church. 

It  is  too  common  to  view  redemption  as  bearing 
merely  upon  the  blessedness  and  security  of  individual 
souls.  This  is  entirely  too  low  a  view  to  take  of  the 
matter.  That  all  which  pertains,  in  any  way,  to  the 
individual  is,  in  the  fullest  manner,  secured,  is,  blessed 
be  God,  most  true.  This  is  the  least  part  of  redemp- 
tion. But  that  Christ's  glory  is  involved  in,  and  con- 
nected with,  the  Church's  existence,  is  a  truth  of  far 
more  dignity,  depth,  and  power.     If  I  am  entitled,  on 


24  GENESIS, 

the  authority  of  Holy  Scripture,  to  regard  myself  as  a 
constituent  part  of  that  which  is  actually  needful  to 
Christ,  I  can  no  longer  entertain  a  doubt  as  to  whether 
there  is  the  fullest  provision  for  all  my  personal  neces- 
sities. And  is  not  the  Church  thus  needful  to  Christ  ? 
Yes,  truly.  *'  It  is  not  good  that  the  man  should  be 
alone;  I  will  make  him  an  help  meet  for  him."  And, 
again,  ''  For  the  man  is  not  of  the  woman  ;  but  the 
Avoman  of  the  man ;  neither  was  the  man  created  for 
the  woman  ;  but  the  woman  for  the  man.  .  .  .  Never- 
theless, neither  is  the  man  without  the  woman,  neither 
the  woman  without  the  man  in  the  Lord.  For  as  the 
woman  is  of  the  man,  even  so  is  the  man  also  by  the 
woman  ;  but  all  things  of  God."  (1  Cor.  xi.  8-12.) 
Hence,  it  is  no  longer  the  mere  question  whether  God 
can  save  a  poor,  helpless  sinner, — whether  he  can  blot 
out  his  sins,  and  receive  him  in  the  power  of  divine 
righteousness.  God  has  said,  "  it  is  not  good  that  the 
man  should  be  alone."  He  left  not  "the  first  man" 
without  "an  help  meet;"  neither  would  he  leave  the 
"  Second."  As,  in  the  case  of  the  former,  there  would 
have  been  a  blank  in  the  creation  without  Eve,  so- 
stupendous  thought ! — in  the  case  of  the  latter,  there 
would  be  a  blank  in  the  new  creation  without  the 
bride,  the  Church. 

Let  us,  now,  look  at  the  manner  in  which  Eve  was 
brought  into  being,  though,  in  so  doing,  we  shall  have 
to  anticipate  part  of  the  contents  of  the  next  chapter. 
Throughout  all  the  orders  of  creation  there  was  not 
found  an  help  meet  for  Adam.  "  A  deep  sleep"  must 
fall  on  him,  and  a  partner  be  formed,  out  of  himself, 
to  share  his  dominion  and  his  blessedness.     "  And  the 


CHAPTER   I.  25 

Lord  God  caused  a  deep  sleep  to  fall  upon  Adam,  and 
he  slept :  and  he  took  one  of  his  ribs,  and  closed  up 
the  flesh  instead  thereof.  And  the  rib,  which  the  Lord 
God  had  taken  from  man,  builded*  he  a  woman,  and 
brought  her  unto  the  man.  And  Adam  said.  This  is 
now  bone  of  my  bones,  and  flesh  of  my  flesh  ;  she  shall 
be  called  Woman,  because  she  was  taken  out  of  man.  ^ 
(Chap.  ii.  21-23.) 

Looking  at  Adam  and  Eve  as  a  type  of  Christ  and 
the  Church,  as  scriptuee  fully  warrants  us  to  do,  we  see 
how  that  the  death  of  Christ  needed  to  be  an  accomplished 
fact,  ere  the  Church  could  be  set  up ;  though,  in  the 
purpose  of  God,  she  was  looked  at,  and  chosen  in  Christ, 
before  the  foundation  of  the  world.  There  is,  however, 
a  vast  diff'erence  between  the  secret  purpose  of  God  and 
the  revelation  and  accomplishment  thereof.  Before  the 
divine  purpose  could  be  actualized  in  reference  to  the 
constituent  parts  of  the  Church,  it  was  necessary  that 
the  Son  should  be  rejected  and  crucified, — that  he  should 
take  his  seat  on  high, — that  he  should  send  down  the 
Holy  Ghost  to  baptize  believers  into  one  body.  It  is 
not  that  souls  were  not  quickened  and  saved,  previous 
to  the  death  of  Christ.  They  assuredly  were.  Adam 
was  saved,  and  thousands  of  others,  from  age  to  age, 
in  virtue  of  the  sacrifice  of  Christ,  though  that  sacri- 
fice was  not  yet  accomplished.  But  the  salvation  of 
individual  souls  is  one  thing ;  and  the  formation  of  the 

*  The  Hebrew  word  which  is  rendered  "  builded  "  in  the  margin, 
is  1^5^   which    the    LXX.    render    by   ax6Jo,</«7w.     A    reference    to 

the  original  of  Eph.  ii.  20,  22  will  show  the  reader  that  the  words 
rendered  "built"  and  "builded  together"  are  inflections  of  the 
same  verb. 

3 


26  GENESIS. 

Church,  as  a  distinctive  thing,  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  is 
quite  another. 

This  distinction  is  not  sufficiently  attended  to  ;  aod 
even  Avhere  it  is  in  theory  maintained,  it  is  accompanied 
with  but  little  of  those  practical  results  which  might 
naturally  be  expected  to  flow  from  a  truth  so  stu- 
pendous. The  Church's  unique  place, — her  special  rela- 
tionship to  "the  Second  Man,  the  Lord  from  heaven," — 
her  distinctive  privileges  and  dignities, — all  these  things 
would,  if  entered  into  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
produce  the  richest,  the  rarest,  and  the  most  fragrant 
fruits.   (See  Eph.  v.  23-32.) 

When  we  look  at  the  type  before  us,  we  may  form 
some  idea  of  the  results  which  ought  to  follow  from 
the  understanding  of  the  Church's  position  and  rela- 
tionship. What  affection  did  not  Eve  owe  to  Adam  ! 
What  nearness  she  enjoyed  I  What  intimacy  of  com- 
munion !  What  full  participation  in  all  his  thoughts  ! 
In  all  his  dignity,  and  in  all  his  glory,  she  was  entirely 
one.  He  did  not  rule  over,  but  with  her.  He  was  Lord 
of  the  whole  creation,  and  she  was  one  with  him.  Yea, 
as  has  already  been  remarked,  she  was  looked  at,  and 
blessed  in  him.  "  The  man  "  was  the  object ;  and  as  to 
"the  woman,"  she  was  needful  to  him,  and  therefore  she 
was  brought  into  being.  Nothing  can  be  more  pro- 
foundly interesting  as  a  type.  Man  first  set  up,  and  the 
woman  viewed  in,  and  then  formed  out  of  him, — all  this 
forms  a  type  of  the  most  striking  and  instructive  char- 
acter. Not  that  a  doctrine  can  ever  be  founded  upon  a 
type  ;  but  when  we  find  the  doctrine  fully  and  clearly 
laid  down  in  other  parts  of  the  Word,  we  are  then  pre- 
pared to  understand,  appreciate,  and  admire  the  type. 


CHAPTER  I.  2t 

The  8th  Psalm  furnishes  a  fine  view  of  man  set  over 
the  work  of  God's  hands:  "when  I  consider  thy 
heavens,  the  work  of  thy  fingers  ;  the  moon  and  the 
stars  which  thou  hast  ordained  :  what  is  man  that  thou 
art  mindful  of  him  ?  and  the  son  of  man  that  thou 
visitest  him  ?  For  thou  hast  made  him  a  little  lower 
than  the  angels,  and  hast  crowned  him  with  glory  and 
honor.  Thou  madest  him  to  have  dominion  over  the 
work&  of  thy  hands ;  thou  hast  put  all  things  under 
his  feet :  all  sheep  and  oxen,  yea,  and  the  beasts  of  the 
field ;  the  fowl  of  the  air,  and  the  fish  of  the  sea,  and 
whatsoever  passeth  through  the  paths  of  the  sea." 
Here  man  is  looked  at,  without  any  distinctive  mention 
of  the  woman ;  and  this  is  quite  in  character,  for  the 
woman  is  looked  at  in  the  man. 

There  is  no  direct  revelation  of  the  mystery  of  the 
Church,  in  any  part  of  the  Old  Testament.  The  apostle 
expressly  says,  ''  in  other  ages  it  was  not  made  known 
to  the  sons  of  men  as  it  is  now  revealed  unto  his  holy 
apostles  and  prophets  (of  the  New  Testament)  by  the 
Spirit."  (Eph.  iii.  1-11.)  Hence,  in  the  Psalm  just 
quoted",  we  have  only  "the  man"  presented  to  us;  but 
we  know  that  the  man  and  the  woman  are  looked  at 
under  one  head.  All  this  will  find  its  full  antitype  in 
the  ages  to  come.  Then  shall  the  True  Man,  the  Lord 
from  heaven,  take  his  seat  on  the  throne,  and,  in  com- 
panionship with  his  bride,  the  Church,  rule  over  a  re- 
stored creation.  This  Church  is  quickened  out  of  the 
grave  of  Christ,  is  part  "  of  his  body,  of  his  flesh,  and 
of  his  bones."  He  the  Head  and  she  the  body,  making 
one  Man,  as  we  read  in  the  fourth  chapter  of  Ephesians, 
*'  Till  we  all  come,  in  the  unity  of  the  faith,  and  of  the 


28  GENESIS 

knowledge  of  the  Son  of  God,  unto  a  perfect  man,  unto 
the  measure  of  the  stature  of  the  fulness  of  Christ.^' 
The  Church,  being  thus  part  of  Christ,  will  occupy  a 
place,  in  the  glory,  quite  unique.  There  was  no  other 
creature  so  near  to  Adam  as  Eve,  because  no  other 
creature  was  part  of  himself.  So,  in  reference  to  the 
Church,  she  will  hold  the  very  nearest  place  to  Christ, 
in  his  coming  glory. 

Nor  is  it  merely  what  the  church  will  M  that 
commands  our  admiration ;  but  what  the  Church  is. 
She  is  now  the  body  of  which  Christ  is  the  Head ;  she 
is  now  the  temple  of  which  God  is  the  Inhabitant.  Oh, 
what  manner  of  people  ought  we  to  be  !  If  such  is 
the  present,  such  the  future  dignity  of  that  of  which 
we,  through  God's  grace,  form  a  part,  surely  a  holy,  a 
devoted,  a  separated,' an  elevated  walk  is  what  be- 
comes us. 

May  the  Holy  Ghost  unfold  these  things,  more  fully 
and  powerfully,  to  our  hearts,  that  so  we  may  have  a 
deeper  sense  of  the  conduct  and  character  which  are 
worthy  of  the  high  vocation  wherewith  we  are  called. 
"The  eyes  of  your  understanding  being  enlightened; 
that  ye  may  know  what  is  the  hope  of  his  calling, 
and  what  the  riches  of  the  glory  of  his  inheritance  in 
the  saints,  and  what  is  the  exceeding  greatness  of  his 
power  to  us  ward  who  believe,  according  to  the  working 
of  his  mighty  power,  which  he  wrought  in  Christ 
when  he  raised  him  from  the  dead,  and  set  him  at  his 
own  right  hand  in  the  heavenly  places,  far  above  all 
principality,  and  power,  and  might,  and  dominion,  and 
every  name  that  is  named,  not  only  in  this  world,  but 
also  in  that  which  is  to  come  ;  and  hath  put  all  things 


CHAPTER   II 


Linder  his  feot,  and  gave  him  to  be  the  head  over  all 
things  to  the  Church,  which  is  his  body,  the  fulness 
of  him  that  filleth  all  in  all."  (Eph.  i.  18-23.) 


CHAPTER   11. 

This  chapter  introduces  to  our  notice  two  prominent 
subjects,  namely,  "the  seventh  day"  and  *' the  river." 
The  first  of  these  demands  special  attention. 

There  are  few  subjects  on  which  so  much  misunder- 
standing and  contradiction  prevails  as  the  doctrine  of 
"the  Sabbath."  Xot  that  there  is  the  slightest  foun- 
dation for  either  the  one  or  the  other ;  for  the  whole 
subject  is  laid  down  in  the  Word,  in  the  simplest  pos- 
sible manner.  The  distinct  commandment,  to  ''  keep 
holy  the  Sabbath-da}',"  will  come  before  us,  the  Lord 
permitting,  in  our  meditations  on  the  book  of  Exodus. 
In  the  chapter  now  before  us,  there  is  no  command 
given  to  man  whatever ;  but  simply  the  record  that, 
"  God  rested  on  the  seventh  day."  "  Thus  the  heavens 
and  the  earth  were  finished,  and  all  the  host  of  them. 
And  on  the  seventh  day  God  ended  his  work  which  he^ 
had  made ;  and  he  rested  on  the  seventh  day  from  all 
his  work  which  he  had  made.  And  God  blessed  the 
seventh  day,  and  sanctified  it ;  because  that  in  it  he 
had  rested  from  all  his  work  which  God  created  and 
made."     There  is  no  commandment  given  to  man,  here. 


so  GENESIS.  ' 

We  are  simply  told  that  God  enjoyed  Lis  rest,  because 
all  was  done,  so  far  as  the  mere  creation  was  concerned. 
There  was  nothing  more  to  be  done,  and,  therefore,  the 
One  who  had,  during  six  days,  been  working,  ceased 
to  work,  and  enjoyed  his  rest.  All  was  complete ;  all 
was  very  good ;  all  was  just  as  he  himself  had  made 
it ;  and  he  rested  in  it.  "  The  morning  stars  sang 
together;  and  all  the  sons  of  God  shouted  for  joy.'^ 
The  work  of  creation  was  ended,  and  God  was  celebrat- 
ing a  sabbath. 

And  be  it  observed,  that  this  is  the  true  character  of 
a  sabbath.  This  is  the  only  sabbath  which  God  ever 
celebrated,  so  far  as  the  inspired  record  instructs  us. 
After  this,  we  read  of  God's  commanding  man  to  keep 
the  sabbath,  and  man  utterly  failing  so  to  do ;  but  we 
never  read  again  the  words,  "  God  rested  :"  on  the  con- 
trary, the  word  is,  "My  Father  worketh  hitherto,  and  I 
work."  (John  v.  11.)  The  sabbath,  in  the  strict  and 
proper  sense  of  the  term,  could  only  be  celebrated  when 
there  really  was  nothing  to  be  done.  It  could  only  be 
celebrated  amid  an  undefiled  creation, — a  creation  on 
which  no  spot  of  sin  could  be  discerned.  God  can  have 
no  rest  where  there  is  sin  ;  and  one  has  only  to  look 
around  him  in  order  to  learn  the  total  impossibility  of 
God's  enjoying  a  rest  in  creation  noiv.  The  thorn  and 
the  thistle,  together  with  the  ten  thousand  other  melan- 
choly and  humiliating  fruits  of  a  groaning  creation, 
rise  before  us,  and  declare  that  God  must  be  at  work 
and  not  at  rest.  Could  God  rest  in  the  midst  of  thorns 
and  briers  ?  Could  he  rest  amid  the  sighs  and  tears, 
the  groans  and  sorrows,  the  sickness  and  death,  the  de- 
gradation and  guilt  of  a  ruined  world  ?     Could  God  sit 


CHAPTER   II.  31 

down,  as  it  were,  and  celebrate  a  sabbath  in  the  midst 
of  such  circumstances  ? 

Whatever  answer  may  be  given  to  these  questions, 
the  word  of  God  teaches  us  that  God  has  had  no  sab- 
bath, as  jet,  save  the  one  which  the  2d  of  Genesis 
records.  "  The  seventh  day,"  and  none  other,  was  the 
sabbath.  It  showed  forth  the  completeness  of  creation- 
work  ;  but  creation-work  is  marred,  and  the  seventh-day 
rest  interrupted ;  and  thus,  from  the  fall  to  the  incar- 
nation, God  was  working ;  from  the  incarnation  to  the 
cross,  God  the  Son  was  working ;  and  from  Pentecost 
until  now,  God  the  Holy  Ghost  has  been  working. 

Assuredly,  Christ  had  no  sabbath  when  he  was  upon 
this  earth.  True,  he  finished  his  work,  —  blessedly, 
gloriously  finished  it, — but  where  did  he  spend  the 
Sabbath-day  ?  In  the  tomb  !  Yes,  my  reader,  the  Lord 
Christ,  God  manifest  in  the  flesh,  the  Lord  of  ihe  Sab- 
bath, the  maker  and  sustainer  of  heaven  and  earth,  spent 
the  seventh  day  in  the  dark  and  silent  tomb.  Has  this 
no  voice  for  us  ?  Does  it  convey  no  teaching  ?  Could 
the  Son  of  God  lie  in  the  grave  on  the  seventh  day,  if 
that  day  were  to  be  spent  in  rest  and  peace  ;  and  in  the 
full  sense  that  nothing  remained  to  be  done  ?  Impos- 
sible !  We  want  no  further  proof  of  the  impossibility 
of  celebrating  a  sabbath  than  that  which  is  afforded  at 
the  grave  of  Jesus.  We  may  stand  beside  that  grave 
amazed  to  find  it  occupied  by  such  an  one  on  the 
seventh  day  ;  but,  oh  !  the  reason  is  obvious.  Man  is  a 
fallen,  ruined,  guilty  creature.  His  long  career  of  guilt 
has  ended  in  crucifying  the  Lord  of  glory  ;  and  not  only 
crucifying  him,  but  placing  a  great  stone  at  the  mouth 
of  the  tomb,  to  prevent,  if  possible,  his  leaving  it. 


32  GENESIS. 

And  what  was  man  doing  while  the  Son  of  God  was 
in  the  grave  ?  He  was  observing  the  Sabbath-da}^ ! 
What  a  thought !  Christ  in  his  grave  to  repair  a 
broken  sabbath,  and  yet  man  attempting  to  keep  the 
sabbath  as  though  it  were  not  broken  at  all !  It  was 
man''8  sabbath,  and  not  God's.  It  was  a  sabbath  with- 
out Christ, — an  empty,  powerless,  worthless,  because 
Christless  and  Godless,  form. 

But  some  will  say,  "  the  day  has  been  changed,  while 
all  the  principles  belonging  to  it  remain  the  same."  I 
do  not  believe  that  scripture  furnishes  any  foundation 
for  such  an  idea.  Where  is  the  divine  warrant  for  such 
a  statement  ?  Surely  if  there  is  scripture  authority, 
nothing  can  be  easier  than  to  produce  it.  But  the  fact 
is,  there  is  none  ;  on  the  contrary,  the  distinction  is  most 
fully  maintained  in  the  JsFe  vv  Testament.  Take  one  re- 
markable passage,  in  proof:  ''  In  the  end  of  the  Sabbath, 
as  it  began  to  dawn  towards  the  first  day  of  the  week." 
(Matt,  xxviii.  1.)  There  is,  evidently,  no  mention  here 
of  the  seventh  day  being  changed  to  the  first  day ;  nor 
yet  of  any  transfer  of  the  Sabbath  from  the  one  to  the 
other.  The  first  day  of  the  week  is  not  the  Sabbath 
changed,  but  altogether  a  new  day.  It  is  the  first  day 
of  a  new  period,  and  not  the  last  day  of  an  old.  The 
seventh  day  stands  connected  with  earth  and  earthly 
rest :  the  first  day  of  the  week,  on  the  contrary,  intro- 
duces us  to  heaven  and  heavenly  rest. 

This  makes  a  vast  'difference  in  the  principle  ;  and 
when  we  look  at  the  matter  in  a  practical  point  of  view, 
the  difference  is  most  material.  If  I  celebrate  the 
seventh  day,  it  marks  me  as  an  earthly  man,  inasmuch 
as  that  day  is,  clearly,  the  rest  of  earth — creation-rest  j 


CHAPTER   II.  33 

but  if  I  am  taught  by  the  Word  and  Spirit  of  God  to 
understand  the  meaning  of  the  first  day  of  the  week, 
I  shall  at  once  apprehend  its  immediate  connection  with 
that  new  and  heavenly  order  of  things,  of  which  the 
death  and  resurrection  of  Christ  form  the  everlasting 
foundation.  The  seventh  day  appertained  to  Israel  and 
to  earth.  The  first  day  of  the  week  appertains  to  the 
Church  and  to  heaven.  Further,  Israel  was  commanded 
to  observe  the  sabbath  day  ;  the  Church  is  primleged  to 
enjoy  the  first  day  of  the  week.  The  former  was  the 
ted  of  Israel's  moral  condition  ;  the  latter  is  the  signi- 
ficant proof  of  the  Church's  eternal  acceptance.  That 
made  manifest  what  Israel  could  do  for  God  ;  this  per- 
fectly declares  what  God  has  done  for  us. 

It  is  quite  impossible  to  over-estimate  the  value  and 
importance  of  the  Lord's  day,  (ji  xv^taxri  vji^fpa,)  as  the 
first  day  of  the  week  is  termed,  in  the  first  chapter  of  the 
Apocalypse.  Being  the  day  on  which  Christ  rose  from 
the  dead,  it  sets  forth  not  the  completion  of  creation, 
but  the  full  and  glorious  triumph  of  redemption,  i>or 
should  we  regard  the  celebration  of  the  first  day  of  the 
week  as  a  matter  of  bondage,  or  as  a  yoke  put  on  the 
neck  of  a  Christian.  It  is  his  delight  to  celebrate  that 
happy  day.  Hence  we  find  that  the  first  day  of  the 
week  was  pre-eminently  the  day  on  which  the  early 
Christians  came  together  to  break  bread ;  and  at  that 
period  of  the  Church's  history,  the  distinction  between 
the  sabbath  and  the  first  day  of  the  week  was  fully 
maintained.  The  Jews  celebrated  the  former,  by  assem- 
bling in  their  synagogues  to  read  "the  law  and  the 
prophets;"  the  Christians  celebrated  the  latter,  by  assem- 
bling to  break  bread.     There  is  not  so  much  as  a  single 

C 


34  GENESIS. 

passage  of  scripture  in  which  the  first  day  of  the  week 
is  called  the  sabbath  day;  whereas  there  is  the  most 
abundant  proof  of  their  entire  distinctness. 

Why,  therefore,  contend  for  that  which  has  no  foun- 
dation in  the  Word  ?  Love,  honor,  and  celebrate  the 
Lord's  day  as  much  as  possible ;  seek,  like  the  apostle, 
to  be  "in the  Spirit"  thereon  ;  let  your  retirement  from 
feecular  matters  be  as  profound  as  ever  you  can  make  it; 
but  while  you  do  all  this,  call  it  by  its  proper  name ; 
give  it  its  proper  place  ;  understand  its  proper  principles ; 
attach  to  it  its  proper  characteristics;  and,  above  all,  do 
not  bind  down  the  Christian,  as  with  an  iron  rule,  to 
observe  the  seventh  day,  when  it  is  his  high  and  holy 
privilege  to  observe  the  first.  Do  not  bring  him  down 
from  heaven,  where  he  can  rest,  to  a  cursed  and  blood- 
stained earth,  where  he  cannot.  Do  not  ask  him  to 
keep  a  day  which  his  Master  spent  in  the  tomb,  instead 
of  that  blessed  day  on  which  he  left  it.  (See,  carefully, 
Matt,  xxviii.  1-6 ;  Mark  xvi.  1-2 ;  Luke  xxiv.  1 ; 
■John  XX.  1,  19,  26  ;  Acts  xx.  1  ;  1  Cor.  xvi.  2  ;  Rev.  i. 
10;  Actsxiii.  14;  xvii.  2;   Col.  ii.  16.) 

But  let  it  not  be  supposed  that  we  lose  sight  of  the 
important  fact  that  the  sabbath  will  again  be  celebrated, 
in  the  land  of  Israel,  and  over  the  whole  creation.  It 
assuredly  will.  "  There  remaineth  a  rest  (c!a{5j3ati6/iios) 
for  the  people  of  God."  (Ileb.  iv.  9.)  When  the  Son  of 
Abraham,  Son  of  David,  and  Son  of  Man,  shall  assume  \ 
his  position  of  government  over  the  whole  earth,  there 
will  be  a  glorious  sabbath, — a  rest  which  sin  shall 
never  interrupt.  But  now,  he  is  rejected,  and  all  who 
know  and  love  him  are  called  to  take  their  place  with 
him  in  his  rejection ;  they  are  called  to  "go  forth  to 


CHAPTER  II.  3§^ 

him  without  the  camp  bearing  his  reproach."  (Heb.  xiii. 
13.)  If  earth  could  keep  a  sabbath,  there  would  be  no 
reproach ;  but  the  very  fact  of  the  professing  church's 
seeking  to  make  the  first  day  of  the  week  the  sabbath, 
reveals  a  deep  principle.  It  is  but  the  effort  to  get  back 
to  an  earthly  standing,  and  to  an  earthly  code  of  morals. 
Many  may  not  see  this.  Many  true  Christians  may, 
most  conscientiously,  observe  the  sabbath  day,  as  such ; 
and  we  are  bound  to  honor  their  consciences,  though 
we  are  perfectly  warranted  in  asking  them  to  furnish 
a  scriptural  basis  for  their  conscientious  convictions. 
We  would  not  stumble  or  wound  their  conscience,  but 
we  would  seek  to  instruct  it.  However,  we  are  not  now 
occupied  with  conscience  or  its  convictions,  but  onh 
with  the  principle  which  lies  at  the  root  of  what  maj 
be  termed  the  sabbath  question ;  and  I  would  only  put 
the  question  to  the  Christian  reader,  which  is  more 
consonant  with  the  entire  scope  and  spirit  of  the  Xew 
Testament,  the  celebration  of  the  seventh  day  or  sab- 
bath, or  the  celebration  of  the  first  day  of  the  week  or 
the  Lord's  day  ?* 


*  This  subject  will,  if  the  Lord  permit,  come  before  us  again  in  the 
twentieth  chapter  of  Exodus;  but  I  would,  here,  observe,  that  very 
much  of  the  offence  and  misunderstanding  connected  with  the  impor- 
tant subject  of  the  sabbath,  may  be  justly  traced  to  the  inconsiderate 
and  injudicious  conduct  of  some  who,  in  their  zeal  for  what  they  termed 
Christian  liberty,  in  reference  to  the  sabbath,  rather  lose  sight  of  the 
claims  of  honest  consciences  ,•  and  also  of  the  place  which  the  Lord's 
day  occupies  in  the  New  Testament.  Some  have  been  known  to  enter 
on  their  weekly  avocations,  simply  to  show  their  liberty,  and  thus  they 
caused  much  needless  offence.  Such  acting  could  never  have  been  sug- 
gested by  the  Spirit  of  Christ.     If  I  am  ever  so  clear  and  free  in  my 


36  GENESIS. 

We  shall  now  consider  the  connection  between  the 
sabbath,  and  the  river  flowing  out  of  Eden.  There  is 
much  interest  in  this.  It  is  the  first  notice  we  get 
of  "the  river  of  God,"  which  is,  here,  introduced  in 
connection  with  God's  rest.     When  God  was  resting  in 


own  mind,  I  should  respect  the  consciences  of  my  brethren  ;  and,  more- 
over, I  do  not  believe  that  those  who  so  carry  themselves,  really  under- 
stand the  true  and  precious  privileges  connected  with  the  Lord's  day. 
We  should  only  be  too  thankful  to  be  rid  of  all  secular  occupation  and 
distraction,  to  think  of  having  recourse  to  them  for  the  purpose  of 
showing  our  liberty.  The  good  providence  of  our  God  has  so  arranged 
for  his  people  throughout  the  British  Empire  that  they  can,  without 
pecuniary  loss,  enjoy  the  rest  of  the  Lord's  day,  inasmuch  as  all  are 
obliged  to  abstain  from  business.  This  must  be  regarded  by  every 
well-regulated  mind  as  a  mercy;  for,  if  it  were  not  thus  ordered,  we 
know  how  man's  covetous  heart  would,  if  possible,  rob  the  Christian  of 
the  sweet  privilege  of  attending  the  assembly  on  the  Lord's  day.  And 
who  can  tell  what  would  be  the  deadening  effect  of  uninterrupted 
engagement  with  this  world's  traflic  ?  Those  Christians  who,  from 
Monday  morning  to  Saturday  night,  breathe  the  dense  atmosphere  of 
the  mart,  the  market,  and  the  manufactorj-^,  can  form  some  idea  of  it. 

It  cannot  be  regarded  as  a  good  sign  to  find  men  introducing  mea- 
.sures  for  the  public  profanation  of  the  Lord's  day.  It  assuredly  marks 
the  progress  of  infidelity  and  French  influence. 

But  there  are  some  who  teach  that  the  expression  n  Kvpisntn  ufAtptt, 
which  is  rightly  enough  translated,  "the  Lord's  day,"  refers  to  "the 
day  of  the  Lord,"  and  that  the  exiled  apostle  found  himself  carried 
forward,  as  it  were,  into  the  Spirit  of  the  day  of  the  Lord.  I  do  not 
believe  the  original  would  bear  such  an  iaterpretation  ;  and,  besides, 
we  have  in  1  Thess.  v.  2,  and  2  Peter  iii.  10,  the  exact  words,  "the  day 
of  the  Lord,"  the  original  of  which  is  quite  different  from  the  expres- 
sion above  referred  to,  being  not  »  JcuptstKn  >i/uipA,  but  «  n/ufpsi  Kvpiov. 
This  entirely  settles  the  matter,  so  far  as  the  mere  criticism  is  concerned  ; 
and  as  to  interpretation,  it  is  plain  that  by  far  the  greater  portion  of 
the  Apocalypse  is  occupied,  not  with  "the  day  of  the  Lord,"  but  with 
events  prior  thereto. 


CHAPTER    n.  3T 

his  works,  the  whole  world  felt  the  blessing  and  re- 
freshment thereof.  It  was  impossible  for  God  to  keep 
a  sabbath,  and  earth  not  to  feel  its  sacred  influence. 
But,  alas  !  the  streams  which  flowed  forth  fi'om  Eden — 
the  scene  of  earthly  rest — were  speedily  interrupted, 
because  the  rest  of  creation  was  marred  by  sin. 

Yet,  blessed  l>e  God,  sin  did  not  put  a  stop  to  his 
activities,  but  only  gave  them  a  new  sphere  ;  and 
wherever  he  is  seen  acting,  the  river  is  seen  flowing. 
Thus,  when  we  find  him,  with  a  strong  hand,  and  an 
outstretched  arm,  conducting  his  ransomed  hosts  across 
the  sterile  sand  of  the  desert,  there  we  see  the  stream 
flowing  forth,  not  from  Eden,  but  from  the  smitten 
Hock, — apt  and  beautiful  expression  of  the  ground  on 
which  sovereign  gi*ace  ministers  to  the  need  of  sinners ! 
This  was  redemption,  and  not  merely  creation.  "  That 
rock  was  Christ,"  Christ  smitten  to  meet  his  people's 
need.  The  smitten  Rock  was  connected  with  Jehovah's 
place  in  the  tabernacle  ;  and  truly  there  was  moral 
beauty  in  the  connection.  God  dwelling  in  curtains, 
and  Israel  drinking  from  a  smitten  rock,  had  a  voice  for 
every  opened  ear,  and  a  deep  lesson  for  every  circum- 
cised heart     (Exod.  xvii.  6.) 

Passing  onward,  in  the  history  of  God's  ways,  we 
find  the  river  flowing  in  another  channel.  ''In  the 
last  day,  that  great  day  of  the  feast,  Jesus  stood,  and 
cried,  saying,  If  any  man  thirst,  let  him  come  unto  me, 
and  drink.  He  that  believe th  on  me,  as  the  Scripture 
hath  said,  out  of  his  belly  shall  flow  rivers  of  living 
water."  (John  vii.  37,  38.)  Here,  then,  we  find  the 
river  emanating  from  another  source,  and  flowing 
through   another  channel  j  though,  in  one   sense,  the 


38  GENESIS. 

source  of  the  river  was  ever  the  same,  being  God  him- 
self; but,  then,  it  was  God,  known  in  a  new  relationship 
and  upon  a  new  principle.  Thus  in  the  passage  just 
quoted,  the  Lord  Jesus  was  taking  his  place,  in  spirit, 
outside  of  the  whole  existing  order  of  things,  and  pre- 
senting himself  as  the  source  of  the  river  of  living 
water,  of  which  river  the  person  of  the  believer  was  to 
be  the  channel.  Eden,  of  old,  was  constituted  a  debtor 
to  the  whole  earth,  to  send  forth  the  fertilizing  streams. 
And  in  the  desert,  the  rock,  when  smitten,  became  a 
debtor  to  Israel's  thirsty  hosts.  Just  so,  now,  every 
one  who  believes  in  Jesus,  is  a  debtor  to  the  scene 
around  him,  to  allow  the  streams  of  refreshment  to  flow 
forth  from  him. 

The  Christian  should  regard  himselt  as  the  channel 
through  which  the  uKinifold  grace  of  Christ  may  flow 
out  to  a  needy  world  ;  and  the  more  freely  he  commu- 
nicates, the  more  freely  will  he  receive,  "for  there  is 
that  scattereth,  and  yet  increaseth  ;  and  there  is  that 
withholdeth  more  than  is  meet,  and  it  teudeth  to 
poverty." '  This  places  the  believer  in  a  place  of  sweet- 
est privileges,  and,  at  the  same  time,  of  the  most  solemn 
responsibility.  He  is  called  to  be  the  constant  witness 
and  exhibitor  of  the  grace  of  him  on  whom  he  believes. 

Now,  the  more  he  enters  into  the  privilege,  the  more 
will  he  answer  the  responsibility.  If  he  is  habitually 
feeding  upon  Christ,  he  cannot  avoid  exhibiting  him. 
The  more  the  Holy  Spirit  keeps  the  Christian's  eye 
fixed  on  Jesus,  the  more  will  his  heart  be  occupied  with 
his  adorable  Person,  and  his  life  and  character  bear 
unequivocal  testimony  to  his  grace.  Faith-  is,  at  once, 
the  power  of  ministry,  the  power  of  testimony,  and  the 


CHAPTER   II.  39 

power  of  -worship.  If  we  are  not  living  "  by  the  faith 
of  the  Son  of  God,  who  loved  us,  and  gave  himself  for 
us,"  we  shall  neither  be  effectual  servants,  faithful  wit- 
nesses, nor  true  worshippers.  We  may  be  doing  a  great 
deal ;  but  it  will  not  be  service  to  Christ.  We  may  be 
saying  a  great  deal,  but  it  will  not  be  testimony  for 
Christ.  We  may  exhibit  a  great  deal  of  piety  and  de- 
votion ;  but  it  will  not  be  spiritual  and  true  worship. 

Finally,  we  have  the  river  of  God,  presented  to  us 
in  the  last  chapter  of  the  Apocalypse.*  "  And  he 
showed  me  a  pure  river  of  water  of  life,  clear  as  crystal, 
proceeding  out  of  the  throne  of  God  and  of  the  Lamb." 
"  There  is  a  river,  the  streams  whereof  shall  make  glad 
the  city  of  God,  the  holy  place  of  the  tabernacles  of  the 
Most  High."  This  is  the  last  place  in  which  we  find 
the  river.  Its  source  can  never  again  be  touched, — 
its  channel  never  again  interrupted.  "The  throne  of 
God "  is  expressive  of  eternal  stability ;  and  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Lamb  marks  it  as  based  upon  the  immediate 
ground  of  accomplished  redemption.  It  is  not  God's 
throne  in  creation;  nor  in  providence :  but  in  redemp- 
tion. When  I  see  the  Lamb,  I  know  its  connection  with 
me  as  a  sinner.  "  The  throne  of  God,"  as  such,  would 
but  deter  me ;  but  when  God  reveals  himself  in  the 
Person  of  the  Lamb,  the  heart  is  attracted,  and  the 
conscience  tranquillized, 

The  blood  of  the  Lamb  cleanses  the  conscience  from 
every  speck  and  stain  of  sin,  and  sets  it,  in  perfect  free- 
dom, in  the  presence  of  a  holiness  which  cannot  tolerate 
sin.  In  the  cross,  all  the  claims  of  divine  holiness 
were  i^erfectly  answered  ;  so  that  the  more  I  understand 

*  Compare,  also,  Ezekiel  ilviL  1-12 ;  and  Zech,  xiv.  8, 


40  GENESIS. 

the  latter,  the  more  I  appreciate  the  foi-mer.  The 
higher  our  estimate  of  holiness,  the  higher  will  be  our 
estimate  of  the  work  of  the  cross.  "  Grace  reigns, 
through  righteousness,  unto  eternal  life,  by  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord.'*  Hence  the  Psalmist  calls  on  the 
saints  to  give  thanks  at  the  remembrance  of  GocVs 
holiness.  This  is  a  precious  fruit  of  a  perfect  redemp- 
tion. Before  ever  a  sinner  can  give  thanks  at  the  re- 
membrance of  God's  holiness,  he  must  look  at  it  by 
faith,  from  the  resurrection  side  of  the  cross. 

Having  thus  traced  the  river,  from  Genesis  to 
Kevelation,  we  shall  briefly  look  at  Adam's  position  in 
Eden.  We  have  seen  him  as  a  type  of  Christ ;  but  he 
is  not  merely  to  be  viewed  typically,  but  personally ; 
not  merely  as  absolutely  shadowing  forth  "  the  second 
man,  the  Lord  from  heaven,"  but  also  as  standing  in 
the  place  of  personal  responsibility.  In  the  midst  of 
the  fair  scene  of  creation,  the  Lord  God  set  up  a 
testimony,  and  this  testimony  was  also  a  test  for  the 
creature.  It  spoke  of  death  in  the  midst  of  life,  "  In 
the  day  that  thou  eatest  thereof,  thou  shalt  surely  die.'^ 
Strange,  solemn  sound  !  Yet,  it  was  a  needed  sound. 
Adam's  life  was  suspended  upon  his  strict  obedience. 
The  link  which  connected   him  with   the  Lord  God* 

*  My  reader  w'lU  observe  the  change  in  the  secontl  chapter 
from  the  expression  "  God "  to  "  Lord  God.*'  There  is  much 
importance  in  the  distinction.  When  God  is  seen  acting  in 
rehition  with  man,  he  takes  the  titJe  "Lord  God/'  —  (Jehovah 
Elohim;)  but  until  man  appears  on  the  scene,  the  word  "  Loird " 
is  not  used.  I  shall  jast  point  out  three  oat  of  murey  passr-i.i^es 
in  which  the  distinction  is  very  strikingly  presentetl.  "  And 
they  that  went  in,  went  in  naale  and  femjile  of  all  flesh,  as  God 
(Elohim)    had    commanded    him  j    and    the    Lord    (Jehovah)    shut 


CHAPTER   IT.  41 

'^'as  obedience,  based  on  implkit  confidence  in  the  One 
who  had  set  hini  in  his  position  of  dignity — confidence 
In  his  truth — confidence  in  his  love.  He  could  obey 
only  while  he  confided.  AVe  shall  see  the  truth  and 
force  of  this  more  fully  when  we  come  to  examine  the 
next  chapter, 

I  would  here  suggest  to  my  reader  the  reniaTkable 
contrast  between  the  testimony  set  up  in  Eden,  and 
that  which  is  set  up  now.  Then,  when  all  around  was 
iife,  Ood  spoke  of  cleuth ;  now,  on  the  contrary,  when 
all  around  is  death,  God  speaks  of  life :  then  the  word 
was,  ^' iit  the  day  thou  eatest  thou  shalt  die  ;^^  now  the 
word  is,  "believe  and  live.''''  And,  as  in  Eden,  the 
enemy  sought  to  make  void  Grod's  testimony,  ais  to  the 
result  of  eating  the  fruit,  so  now,  he  seeks  to  make 
void  God^s  testimony  as  to  the  result  of  believing  the 
gos^^el.  God  had  said,  ^^  In  the  day  that  thou  eatest 
thereof  thou  shalt  surely  tZie."  But  the  serpent  said, 
"Ye  shall  not  surely  die."  And  now,  when  God's 
word  plainly  declares  that  "he  that  believeth  on  the 
Son  hoik  everlasting  Z^/e,"  (John  iiL  36,)  the  same  ser- 


h\m  in,"  {Gen.  vii.  16.)  Elohira  was  going  to  destroy  the  world 
which  he  bad  made ;  feut  JehovaJa  took  care  of  the  roan  with  whom  he 
stood  in  rela.tio£U  Again,  "that  all  th-e  earth  maj  know  that  there  is 
a  God  (Elohim)  iu  Israel.  And  all  this  assembly  shall  know  that  the 
Lord  (Jeh-Gvah)  caveth,'"'  &c.  (1  Sam.  xvii.  46,  47.)  All  the  earth 
was  t<j  recognise  tlie  presence  of  Elohim;  but  Israel  was  called  to 
n-ecognize  tiie  a^tiiags  of  Jeiovah,,  with  whom  tfaey  stood  in  relation. 
Lastly^  "  Jehoshaphat  cried  out,  and  ihe  Lord  (Jehovah)  helped  him; 
and  God  (Elohim)  moved  them  to  depart  from  him«"  {2  Chron.  xviiL 
31.)  Jeho%'-ah  took  care  of  his  poor  erring  servant :  but  Elohim,  though 
unknown,  a,ct&i  upon  the  heai-fcs  of  the  miclrcumeised  Syrians. 


42  GENESIS. 

pent  seeks  to  persuade  people  that  they  hare  jioi  crer- 
lasting  /?/(?,  nor  should  they  presume  to  think  of  such  a 
thing,  nntil  they  have,  first,  done,feU,  and  experienced 
all  manner  of  things. 

My  beloved  reader,  if  yoa  have  Kot  yet  henrtily  be- 
lieved the  divine  record,  let  me  beseech  you  to  allow 
*'  the  voice  of  the  Lord"  to  prevail  above  the  hiss  of  tho 
serpent.  *'He  that  heareth  my  word,  and  believeth  on 
him  that  sent  me,  hath  everlastirifir  life,  and  shall  not 
come  into  condemnation ;  but  is  passed  from  deatb 
unto  life."  (John  v.  24.) 


CHAPTER  III. 

This  section  of  our  book  sets  before  us  the  breaking 
up  of  the  whole  scene  on  which  we  have  been  dwelling. 
It  abounds  in  very  weighty  principles ;  and  has,  very 
justly,  been,  in  all  ages,  resorted  to  as  a  most  fraitful 
theme  for  those  who  desired  to  set  forth  the  truth  as  to 
man's  ruin  and  God's  remedy.  The  serpent  enters, 
with  a  bold  question  as  to  divide  revelation^- — terrible 
model  and  forerunner  of  all  infidel  questions  since- 
raised  by  those  who  have,  alas  I  too  faithf^illy  served 
the  serpent^s  cause  in  the  world, — questions  which  are 
only  to  be  met  by  the  supreme  authority  and  divine 
majesty  of  Holy  Scripture. 

"  Yea,  hath  God  said,  ye  shall  not  eat  of  every  tree 
of  the  garden  ?"     This  was  Satan's  crafty  inquiry  ;  and 


CHAPTER  in.  43 

had  the  word  of  God  been  dwelling  richly  in  Eve's 
heart,  her  answer  might  have  been  direct,  simple,  and 
conclusive.  The  true  way  in  which  to  meet  Satan's 
questions  and  suggestions,  is  to  treat  them  as  his,  and 
repel  them  by  the  word.  To  let  them  near  the  heart, 
for  a  moment,  is  to  lose  the  only  power  by  which  to 
answer  them.  The  devil  did  not  openly  present  him- 
self and  say,  "  I  am  the  devil,  the  enemy  of  God,  and 
I  am  comig  to  traduce  him,  and  ruin  you."  This  would 
not  be  serpent-like  ;  and,  yet,  he  really  did  all  this,  by 
raising  questions  in  the  mind  of  the  creature.  To  ad- 
mit the  question,  "hath  God  said  ?"  when  I  know  that 
God  has  spoken,  is  positive  infidelity ;  and  the  very 
fact  of  my  admitting  it,  proves  my  total  incapacity  to 
meet  it.  Hence,  in  Eve's  case,  the  form  of  her  reply 
evidenced  the  fact  that  she  had  admitted  to  her  heart 
the  serpent's  crafty  inquiry.  Instead  of  adhering 
strictly  to  the  exact  words  of  God,  she,  in  her  reply, 
actually  adds  thereto. 

Now,  either  to  add  to,  or  take  from,  God's  word, 
proves,  very  clearly,  that  his  word  is  not  dwelling  in 
my  heart,  or  governing  my  conscience.  If  a  man  is 
finding  his  enjoyment  in  obedience,  if  it  is  his  meat  and 
his  drink,  if  he  is  living  by  every  word  that  proceedeth 
out  of  the  mouth  of  Jehovah,  he  will,  assuredly,  be 
acquainted  with,  and  fully  alive  to,  his  word.  He  could 
not  be  indifi'erent  to  it.  The  Lord  Jesus,  in  his  con- 
flict with  Satan,  accurately  applied  the  word,  because 
he  lived  upon  it,  and  esteemed  it  more  than  his  ne- 
cessary food.  He  could  not  misquote  or  misapply  the 
word,  neither  could  he  be  indifferent  about  it.  Not 
so  Eve.     She  added  to  what  God  had  said.     His  com- 


44  GENESIS. 

mand  was  simple  enough,  ''Thou  shalt  not  eat  of  it." 
To  this  Eve  acids  her  own  words,  "  neither  shall  ye 
touch  it."  These  were  Eve's  words  and  not  God's.' 
He  had  said  nothing  about  touching ;  so  that  whether 
her  misquotation  proceeded  from  ignorance,  or  indif- 
ference, or  a  desire  to  represent  God  in  an  arbitrary 
light,  or  from  all  three  together,  it  is  plain  that  she 
was  entirely  off  the  true  ground  of  simple  confidence  in, 
and  subjection  to,  God's  holy  word.  "By  "the  words 
of  thy  mouth,  I  have  kept  me  from  the  paths  of  the 
destroyer." 

Nothing  can  possess  morfe  commanding  interest  than 
the  way  in  which  the  word  is  everywhere  put  forward 
throughout  the  sacred  canon,  together  with  the  immense 
importance  of  strict  obedience  thereto.  Obedience  is  due 
from  us  to  God's  word,  simply  because  it  is  his  word. 
To  raise  a  question  when  he  has  spoken,  is  blasphemy. 
We  are  in  the  place  of  the  creature.  He  is  the  Creator; 
He  may,  therefore,  justly  claim  obedience  from  us.  The 
infidel  may  call  this  "blind  obedience;"  but  the 
Christian  calls  it  intelligent  obedience,  inasmuch  as  it 
is  based  upon  the  knowledge  that  it  is  God's  word  to 
which  he  is  obedient.  If  a  man  had  not  God's  word, 
he  might  well  be  said  to  be  in  blindness  and  darkness, 
for  there  is  not  so  much  as  a  single  ray  of  divine  light, 
within  or  around  us,  but  what  emanates  from  God's 
pure  and  eternal  word.  All  that  we  want  to  know  is 
that  God  has  spoken,  and  then  obedience  becomes  the 
very  highest  order  of  intelligent  acting.  When  the 
soul  gets  up  to  God,  it  has  reached  the  very  highest 
source  of  authority.  No  man,  nor  body  of  men,  can 
claim  obedience  to  their  word,  because  it  is  theirs  ;  and 


CHAPTER   III.         *  43 

hence  the  claims  of  the  Church  of  Rome  are  arrogant 
and  impious.  In  her  claiming  obedience,  she  usurps 
the  prerogative  of  God ;  and  all  who  yield  it,  rob  God 
of  his  right.  She  presumes  to  place  herself  between 
God  and  the  conscience  ;  and  who  can  do  this  with 
impunity  ?  When  God  speaks,  man  is  bound  to  obey. 
Happy  is  he  if  he  does  so.  Woe  be  to  him  if  he  does 
not.  Infidelity  may  question  if  God  has  spoken  ;  super- 
stition may  place  human  authority  between  my  con- 
science and  what  God  has  spoken ;  by  both  alike  I  am 
effectually  robbed  of  the  word,  and,  as  a  consequence, 
of  the  deep  blessedness  of  obedience. 

There  is  a  blessing  in  every  act  of  obedience  ;  but  the 
moment  the  soul  hesitates,  the  enemy  has  the  advantage  ; 
and  he  will  assuredly  use  it  to  thrust  the  soul  farther 
and  farther  from  God.  Thus,  in  the  chapter  before  us, 
the  question,  "  Hath  God  said  ?"  was  followed  by,  "  Ye 
shall  not  surely  die."  That  is  to  say,  there  was  first 
the  question  raised,  as  to  whether  God  had  spoken, 
and  then  followed  the  open  contradiction  of  what  God 
had  said.  This  solemn  fact  is  abundantly  sufiicient  to 
show  how  dangerous  it  is  to  admit  near  the  heart  a 
question  as  to  divine  revelation,  in  its  fulness  and  in- 
tegrity. A  refined  rationalism  is  very  near  akin  to  bold 
infidelity ;  and  the  infidelity  that  dares  to  judge  God's 
Word  is  not  far  from  the  atheism  that  denies  his 
existence.  Eve  would  never  have  stood  by  to  hear 
God  contradicted,  if  she  had  not  previously  fallen  into 
looseness  and  indifference  as  to  his  Avord.  She,  too, 
had  her  "  Phases  of  Faith,"  or,  to  speak  more  correctly, 
her  phases  of  infidelity  :  she  suffered  God  to  be  contra- 
dicted by  a  creature,  simply  because  his  word  had  lost 


4^  GENESIS. 

its  proper  authority  over  her  heart,  her  conscience,  and 
her  understanding. 

This  furnishes  a  most  solemn  warning  to  all  who  are 
m  danger  of  being  ensnared  b}^  an  unhallowed  ration- 
alism. There  is  no  true  security,  save  in  a  profound 
faith  in  the  plenary  inspiration  and  supreme  authority 
of  ''ALL  SCRIPTURE."  The  soul  that  is  endowed  with 
this  has  a  triumphant  answer  to  every  objector,  whether 
he  issue  from  Rome  or  Germany.  "  There  is  nothing 
new  under  the  sun."  The,  self-same  evil  which  is  now 
corrupting  the  very  springs  of  religious  thought  and 
feeling,  throughout  the  fairest  portion  of  the  continent 
of  Europe,  was  that  which  laid  Eve's  heart  in  ruins, 
in  the  garden  of  Eden.  The  first  step  in  her  downward 
course  was  her  hearkening  to  the  question,  "  Hath  God 
said  ?"  And  then,  onward  she  went,  from  stage  to 
stage,  until,  at  length,  she  bowed  before  the  serpent, 
and  owned  him  as  her  god,  and  the  fountain  of  truth. 
Yes,  my  reader,  the  serpent  displaced  God,  and  the  ser- 
pent's lie  God's  truth.  Thus  it  was  with  fallen  man  ; 
and  thus  it  is  with  fallen-  man's  posterity.  God's  word 
has  no  place  in  the  heart  of  the  unregenerated  man  ; 
but  the  lie  of  the  serpent  has.  Let  the  formation  of 
man's  heart  be  examined,  and  it  will  be  found  that 
there  is  a  place  therein  for  Satan's  lie,  but  none  what- 
ever for  the  truth  of  God.  Hence  the  force  of  the  word 
to  Nicodemus,  "Ye  must  be  born  again." 

But,  it  is  important  to  observe  the  mode  in  which 
the  serpent  sought  to  shake  Eve's  confidence  in  God's 
truth,  and  thus  bring  her  under  the.  power  of  infidel 
*' reason."  It  was  by  shaking  her  confidenre  in  God's 
love.     He  sought  to  shake  her  confidence  in  what  God 


CHAPTER   III.  4t 

had  said  by  showing  that  the  testimony  was  not 
founded  in  love.  "  For,"  said  he,  ''  God  doth  know 
that  in  the  day  ye  eat  thereof,  then  your  eyes  shall  be 
opened,  and  ye  shall  be  as  gods  knowing  good  and  evil." 
(Ver.  5.)  In  other  words,  "  There  is  positive  advantage 
connected  with  the  eating  of  that  fruit  of  which  God 
is  seeking  to  deprive  you ;  why,  therefore,  should  you 
believe  God's  testimony  ?  you  cannot  place  confidence 
in  one  who,  manifestly,  does  not  love  you ;  for,  if  he 
loved  you,  why  should  he  prohibit  your  enjoying  a 
positive  privilege  ?" 

Eve's  security  against  the  influence  of  all  this  rea- 
soning, would  have  been  simple  repose  in  the  infinite 
goodness  of  God.  She  should  have  said  to  the  ser- 
pent, "I  have  the  fullest  confidence  "in  God's  goodness, 
and,  therefore,  I  deem  it  impossible  that  he  could 
withhold  any  real  good  from  me.  If  that  fruit  were 
good  for  me,  I  should  surely  have  it ;  but  the  fact  of 
its  being  forbidden  by  God  proves  that  I  would  oe  no 
better,  but  much  worse  off  by  the  eating  of  it.  I  am 
convinced  of  God's  love,  and  I  am  convinced  of  God's 
truth,  and  I  believe,  too,  that  you  are  an  evil  one  come  to 
draw  my  heart  away  from  the  fountain  of  goodness  and 
truth.  Get  thee  behind  me,  Satan."  This  would  have 
been  a  noble  reply.  But  it  was  not  given.  Her  confidence 
in  truth  and  love  gave  way,  and  all  was  lost ;  and  so  we 
find  that  there  is  just  as  little  place  in  the  heart  of  fallen 
man  for  God's  love,  as  there  is  for  God's  truth.  The 
heart  of  man  is  a  stranger  to  both  the  one  and  the 
other,  until  renewed  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Now,  it  is  deeply  interesting  to  turn  from  Satan's  lie 
in  reference  to  the  truth  and  love  of  God,  to  the  mis- 


48  GENESIS. 

sioii  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  came  from  the 
bosom  of  the  Father  in  order  to  reveal  what  he  really 
is.  ''  Grace  and  truth," — the  very  things  which  man 
lost,  in  his  fall, — "came  by  Jesus  Christ."  (John  i.  It.) 
He  was  ''the  faithful  witness"  of  what  God  was.  (Rev. 
i.  5.)  Truth  reveals  God  as  he  is ;  but  this  truth  is 
connected  with  the  revelation  of  perfect  grace  ;  and 
thus  the  sinner  finds,  to  his  unspeakable  joy,  that  the 
revelation  of  what  God  is,  instead  of  being  his  des- 
truction, becomes  the  basis  of  his  eternal  salvation. 
"  This  is  life  eternal,  that  they  might  know  thee,  the 
only  true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ  whom  thou  hast  sent." 
(John  xvii.  3.)  I  cannot  know  God  and  not  have  life. 
The  loss  of  the  knowledge  of  God  was  death ;  but  the 
knowledge  of  God  is  life.  This,  necessarily,  makes  life 
a  thing  entirely  outside  of  ourselves,  and  dependent 
upon  what  God  is.  Let  me  arrive  at  w^hat  amount  of 
self-knowledge  I  may,  it  is  not  said  that  "  this  is  life 
eternS,  to  know  themselves;"  though,  no  doubt,  the 
knowledge  of  God  and  the  knowledge  of  self  will  go 
very  much  together;  still,  ''eternal  life"  is  connected 
with  the  former,  and  not  with  the  latter.  To  know 
God  as  he  is,  is  life ;  and  "  all  who  know  not  God" 
shall  be  "punished  with  everlasting  destruction  from 
his  presence." 

It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  to  see  that  what 
really  stamps  man's  character  and  condition  is  his  igno- 
rance or  knowledge  of  God.  This  it  is  that  marks  his 
character  here,  and  fixes  his  destiny  hereafter.  Is  he 
evil  in  his  thoughts,  evil  in  his  words,  evil  in  his 
actions?  It  is  all  the  result,  of  his  being  ignorant  of 
God.     On  the  other  hand,  is  he  pure  in  thought,  holy 


CHAPTER   III.  49 

in  conversation,  gracious  in  action  ?  It  is  but  the  prac- 
tical result  of  his  knowledge  of  God.  So  also  as  to  the 
future.  To  know  God  is  the  solid  ground  of  endless 
bliss, — everlasting  glory.  To  know  him  not  is  "  ever- 
lasting destruction."  Thus  the  knowledge  of  God  is 
every  thing.  It  quickens  the  soul,  purifies  the  heart, 
tranquillizes  the  conscience,  elevates  the  affections, 
sanctifies  the  entire  character  and  conduct. 

Need  we  wonder,  therefore,  that  Satan's  grand  design 
was  to  rob  the  creature  of  the  true  knowledge  of  the 
only  true  God  ?  He  misrepresented  the  blessed  God  : 
he  said  he  was  not  kind.  This  was  the  secret  spring 
of  all  the  mischief.  It  matters  not  what  shape  sin  has 
since  taken, — it  matters  not  through  what  channel  it  has 
flowed,  under  what  head  it  has  ranged  itself,  or  in  what 
garb  it  has  clothed  itself, — it  is  all  to  be  traced  to  this 
one  thing,  namely,  ignorance  of  God.  The  most  refined 
and  cultivated  moralist,  the  most  devout  religionist,  the 
most  benevolent  philanthropist,  if  ignorant  of  God,  is 
as  far  from  life  and  true  holiness,  as  the  publican  and 
the  harlot.  The  prodigal  was  just  as  much  a  sinner, 
and  as  positively  away  from  the  Father,  when  he  had 
crossed  the  threshold,  as  when  he  was  feeding  swine  in 
the  far  country.  (Luke  xv.  13-15.)  So  in  Eve's  case. 
The  moment  she  took  herself  out  of  the  hands  of  God, — 
out  of  the  position  of  absolute  dependence  upon,  and 
subjection  to,  his  word, — she  abandoned  herself  to  the 
government  of  sense,  as  used  of  Satan  for  her  entire 
overthrow. 

The  sixth  verse  presents  three  things,  namely  :  "the 
lust  of  the  flesh,  the  lust  of  the  eye,  and  the  pride  of 
life  ;"  which  three,  as  the  apostle  states,  comprehend 
5  D 


^0  GENESIS. 

"all  that  is  in  the  world.''  These  things  necessarily 
took  the  lead,  when  God  was  shut  out.  If  I  do  not 
abide  in  the  happy  assurance  of  God's  love  and  truth, 
his  grace  and  faithfulness,  I  shall  surrender  myself  -to 
the  government  of  some  one,  or  it  may  be  all,  of  ths 
above  principles;  and  this  is  only  another  name  for  the 
government  of  Satan.  There  is,  strictly  speaking,  no 
such  thing  as  man's  free-will.  If  man  be  self-governed, 
he  is  really  governed  by  Satan ;  and  if  not,  he  is 
governed  by  God. 

Now,  the  three  great  agencies  by  which  Satan 
works  are  "  the  lust  of  the  flesh,  the  lust  of  the  eye, 
an.d  the  pride  of  life."  These  were  the  things  presented 
by  Satan  to  the  Lord  Jesus,  in  the  temptation.  He 
began  by  tempting  the  Second  Man  to  take  himself 
out  of  the  position  of  absolute  dependence  upon  God. 
"Command  these  stones  that  they  be  made  bread." 
He  asked  him  to  do  this,  not,  as  in  the  case  of  the  first 
man,  to  make  himself  what  he  was  not,  but  to  prove 
what  he  was.  Then  followed  the  offer  of  the  king- 
doms of  the  world,  with  all  their  glory.  And,  finally, 
conducting  him  to  a  pinnacle  of  the  temple,  he  tempted 
him  to  give  himself,  suddenly  and  miraculously,  to  the 
admiration  of  the  assembled  people  below.  (Comp.  Matt. 
iv.  1-11  with  Luke  iv.  1-13.)  The  plain  design  of 
each  temptation  was  to  induce  the  Blessed  One  to  step 
from  the  position  of  entire  dependence  upon  God,  and 
perfect  subjection  to  his  will.  But  all  in  vain.  "It 
is  ivritten,^^  was  the  unvarying  reply  of  the  only  depend- 
ent, self-emptied,  perfect  man.  Others  might  under- 
take to  manage  for  themselves :  none  but  God  should 
manage  for  him. 


CHAPTER   III.  51 

"What  an  example  for  tlie  faithful,  under  all  their  cir- 
cumstances !  Jesus  kept  close  to  scripture,  and  thus 
conquered  :  without  any  other  weapon,  save  the  sword 
of  the  Spirit,  he  stood  in  the  conflict,  and  gained  a 
glorious  triumph.  What  a  contrast  with  the  first 
Adam  !  The  one  had  every  thing  to  plead  for  God  :  the 
other  had  every  thing  to  plead  against  him.  The  gar- 
den, with  all  its  delights,  in  the  one  case  ;  the  wilderness, 
with  all  its  privations,  in  the  other :  confidence  in 
Satan,  in  the  one  case  ;  confidence  in  God  in  the  other  : 
complete  defeat  in  the  one  case ;  complete  victory  in 
the  other.  Blessed  forever  be  the  God  of  all  grace, 
who  has  laid  our  help  on  One  so  mighty  to  conquer, 
mighty  to  save  ! 

Let  us  now  inquire  how  far  Adam  and  Eve  realized 
the  serpent's  promised  advantage.  This  inquiry  will 
lead  us  to  a  deeply-important  point  in  connection  with 
the  fall  of  man.  The  Lord  God  had  so  ordered  it,  that 
in  and  by  the  fall,  man  should  get  what  previously  he 
had  not,  and  that  was  a  conscience, — a  knowledge  of 
both  good  and  evil.  Tliis,  man  evidently  could  not 
have  had  before.  He  could  not  have  known  aught 
about  evil,  inasmuch  as  evil  was  not  there  to  be  known. 
He  was  in  a  state  of  innocence,  which  is  a  state  of 
ignorance  of  evil.  Man  got  a  conscience  in  and  by 
the  fall ;  and  we  find  that  the  very  first  effect  of  con- 
science was  to  make  him  a  coward.  Satan  had  utterly 
deceived  the  woman.  He  had  said,  "your  eyes  shall 
be  opened,  and  ye  shall  be  as  gods,  knowing  good  and 
evil."  But  he  had  left  out  a  material  part  of  the  truth, 
namely,  that  the}^  should  know  good,  without  the  power 
to  do  it ;  and  that  they  should  know  evil,  without  the 


52  GENESIS. 

power  to  avoid  it.  Their  very  attempt  to  elevate  them- 
selves in  the  scale  of  moral  existence  involved  the  loss 
of  true  elevation.  They  became  degraded,  powerless, 
Satan-enslaved,  conscience-smitten,  terrified  creatures. 
"  The  eyes  of  them  both  were  opened,"  no  doubt ;  but 
alas  !  to  what  a  sight !  It  was  only  to  discover  their 
own  nakedness.  They  opened  their  eyes  upon  their  own 
condition,  which  w^as  "wretched,  and  miserable,  and 
poor,  and  blind,  and  naked."  "They  knew  that  they 
were  naked," — sad  fruit  of  the  tree  of  knowledge  !  It 
was  not  any  fresh  knowledge  of  divine  excellency  they 
had  attained, — no  fresh  beam  of  divine  light  from  the 
pure  and  eternal  fountain  thereof, — alas  I  no  :  the  very 
earliest  result  of  their  disobedient  effort  after  knowledge 
was  the  discovery  that  they  were  naked.- 

Now,  it  is  well  to,  understand  this;  well,  too,  to 
know  how  conscience  works, — to  see  that  it  can  only 
make  cowards  of  us,  as  being  the  consciousness  of  what 
we  are.  Many  are  astray  as  to  this :  they  think  that 
conscience  will  bring  us  to  God.  Did  it  operate  thus, 
in  the  case  of  Adam  and  Eve  ?  Assuredly  not.  Nor 
will  it,  in  the  case  of  any  sinner.  How  could  it  ?  How 
could  the  sense  of  what  /  am  ever  bring  me  to  God,  if 
not  accompanied  by  the  faith  of  what  God  is?  Im- 
possible :  it  will  produce  shame,  self-reproach,  remorse, 
anguish.  It  may,  also,  give  birth  to  certain  efforts,  on 
my  part,  to  remedy  the  condition  which  it  discloses ; 
but  these  very  efforts,  so  far  from  drawing  us  to  God, 
rather  act  as  a  blind  to  hide  him  from  our  view. 
Thus,  in  the  case  of  Adam  and  Eve,  the  discovery  of 
their  nakedness  was  followed  by  an  effort  of  their  own 
to  cover  it.     "  They  sewed  fig-leaves  together  and  made 


CHAPTER   III.  53 

themselves  aprons."  This  is  the  first  record  we  have 
of  mau'S  attempt  to  remedy,  by  his  own  device,  his 
condition  ;  and  the  attentive  consideration  thereof  will 
afford  us  not  a  little  instruction  as  to  the  real  character 
of  human  religiousness  in  all  ages.  In  the  first  place 
we  see,  not  only  in  Adam's  case,  but  in  every  case,  that 
man's  effort  to  remedy  his  condition  is  based  upon  the 
sense  of  his  nakedness.  He  is,  confessedly,  naked,  and 
all  his  works  are  the  result  of  his  being  so.  This  can 
never  avail.  I  must  know  that  I  am  clothed,  before  ,1 
can  do  any  thing  acceptable  in  the  sight  of  God. 

And  this,  be  it  observed,  is  the  difference  between 
true  Christianity  and  human  religiousness.  The  former 
is  founded  upon  the  fact  of  a  man's  being  clothed  :  the 
latter,  upon  the  fact  of  his  being  naked.  The  former 
has  for  its  starting-post  what  the  latter  has  for  its  goal. 
All  that  a  true  Christian  does,  is  because  he  is  clothed, 
— perfectly  clothed ;  all  that  a  mere  religionist  does,  is 
in  order  that  he  may  be  clothed.  This  makes  a  vast, 
difference.  The  more  we  examine  the  genius  of  man's 
religion,  in  all  its  phases,  the  more  we  shall  see  its 
thorough  insufficiency  to  remedy  his  state,  or  even  to 
meet  his  own  sense  thereof.  It  may  do  very  well  for  a 
time.  It  may  avail  so  long  as  death,  judgment,  and 
the  wrath  of  God  are  looked  at  from  a  distance,  if 
looked  at  at  all ;  but  when  a  man  comes  to  look  these 
terrible  realities  straight  in  the  face,  he  will  find,  in 
good  truth,  that  his  religion  is  a  bed  too  short  for  him  to 
stretch  himself  upon,  and  a  covering  too  narrow  for  him 
to  wrap  himself  in. 

The  moment  Adam  heard  the  voice  of  the  Lord 
God,  in  Eden,  ''he  was  afraid,''^  because,  as  he  himself 


54  GENESIS. 

confessed,  "T  was  naked."  Yes,  naked,  although  he 
had  his  apron  on  him.  But  it  is  plain  that  that  cover- 
ing did  not  even  satisfy  his  own  conscience.  Had  his 
conscience  been  divinely  satisfied,  he  would  not  have 
been  afraid.  ''  If  our  heart  condemn  us  not,  then  have 
we  confidence  toward  God."  (1  John  iii.  20,  21.) 
But  if  even  the  human  conscience  cannot  find  repose  in 
man's  religious  efforts,  how  niuch  less  can  the  holiness 
of  God.  Adam's  apron  could  not  screen  him  from  the 
eye  of  God ;  and  he  could  not  stand  in  his  presence 
naked  :  therefore  he  fled  to  hide  himself.  This  is  what 
conscience  will  do  at  all  times.  It  will  cause  man  to 
hide  himself  from  God  ;  and,  moreover,  all  that  his  own 
religiousness  offers  him  is  a  hiding-place  from  God. 
This  is  a  miserable  provision,  inasmuch  as  he  must 
meet  God,  some  time  or  other ;  and  if  he  has  naught 
save  the  sad  conscience  of  what  he  is,  he  must  be  afraid, 
— yea,  he  must  be  wretched.  Indeed,  nothing  is  needed, 
save  hell  itself,  to  complete  the  misery  of  one  who  feels 
he  has  to  meet  God,  and  knows  only  his  own  unfitness 
to  meet  him. 

Had  Adam  known  God's  perfect  love,  he  would  not 
have  been  afraid.  "  There  is  no  fear  in  love  ;  but  per- 
fect love  casteth  out  fear,  because  fear  hath  torment. 
He  that  fearetli  is  not  made  perfect  in  love."  (1  John 
iv.  IT,  18.)  But  Adam  knew  not  this,  because  he  had 
believed  the  serpent's  lie.  He  thought  that  God  was 
any  thing  but  love  ;  and,  therefore,  the  very  last  thought 
of  his  heart  would  have  been  to  venture  into  his 
presence.  He  could  not  do  it.  Sin  was  there,  and  God 
and  sin  can  never  meet :  so  long  as  there  is  sin  on  the 
conscience,  there  must  be  the  sense  of  distance  from 


CHAPTER  in.  55 

God.  "  He  is  of  purer  eyes  than  to  behold  evil,  and 
cannot  look  upon  iniquity."  (Hab.  i.  13.)  Holiness  and 
sin  cannot  dwell  together.  Sin,  wherever  it  is  found, 
can  only  be  met  by  the  wrath  of  God. 

But,  blessed  be  God,  there  is  something  beside  the 
conscience  of  what  I  am.  There  is  the  revelation  of 
what  he  is;  and  this  latter  the  fall  of  man  really 
brought  out  God  had  not  revealed  himself,  fully,  in 
creation :  he  had  shown  "  his  eternal  power  and  God- 
head,"* {eiLoir^i)  but  he  had  not  told  out  all  the  deep 
secrets  of  his  nature  and  character.  Wherefore  Satan 
made  a  grand  mistake  in  coming  to  meddle  with  God's 
creation.  He  only  proved  to  be  the  instrument  of  his 
own  eternal  defeat  and  confusion,  and  "  his  violent 
dealing"  shall  forever  "come  down  upon  his  own  pate." 
His  lie  only  gave  occasion  for  the  display  of  the  full 
truth  in  reference  to  God.  Creation  never  could  have 
brought  out  what  God  was.  There  was  infinitely  more 
in  him  than  power  and  wisdom.  There  was  love, 
mercy,  holiness,  rigliteousness,  goodness,  tenderness, 
long-suffering.  Where  could  all  these  be  displayed, 
but  in  a  world  of  sinners  ?  God,  at  the  first,  came 
down  to  create  ;  and,  then,  when  the  serpent  presumed 
to  meddle  with  creation,  God  came  down  to  save.  This 
is  brought  out  in  the  first  words  uttered  by  the  Lord 


*  There  is  a  profoundly  interesting  thought  suggested  by  com- 
paring the  word  9«ot»c  (Rom.  i.  20)  with  the  word  6«0T»e  (Col.  ii. 
9.)  They  are  both  rendered  "Godhead;"  but  they  present  a  very 
different  thought.  The  heathen  might  have  seen  that  there  was 
something  superhuman,  something  divine,  in  creation;  but  pure, 
essential,  incomprehensible  Deity  dwelt  in  the  Adorable  Person  of 
the  Son. 


56  GENESIS. 

God,  after  man's  fall.  "  And  the  Lord  God  called  unto 
Adam,  and  said  unto  him,  Where  art  thou  ?"  This 
question  proved  two  things.  It  proved  that  man  was 
lost,  and  that  God  had  come  to  seek.  It  proved  man's 
sin,  and  God's  grace.  ''Where  art  thou?"  Amazing 
faithfulness  !  Amazing  grace  !  Faithfulness,  to  dis- 
close, in  the  very  cjuestion  itself,  the  truth  as  to  man's 
condition  :  grace,  to  bring  out,  in  the  very  fact  of  God's 
asking  such  a  question,  the  truth  as  to  his  character 
and  attitude,  in  reference  to  fallen  man.  Man  was  lost ; 
but  God  had  come  down  to  look  for  him — to  bring  him 
out  of  his  hiding-place,  behind  the  trees  of  the  garden, 
in  order  that,  in  the  happy  confidence  of  faith,  he  might 
find  a  hiding-place  in  himself.  This  was  grace.  To 
create  man  out  of  the  dust  of  the  ground  was  poioer ; 
but  to  seek  man  in  his  lost  estate  was  grace.  But  who 
can  utter  all  that  is  wrapped  up  in  the  idea  of  God's 
being  a  meeker  ?  God  seeking  a  sinner  ?  What  could 
the  Blessed  One  have  seen  in  man,  to  lead  him  to  seek 
for  him  ?  Just  what  the  shepherd  saw  in  the  lost 
sheep ;  or  what  the  woman  saw  in  the  lost  piece  of 
silver;  or  what  the  father  saw  in  the  lost  son.  The 
sinner  is  valuable  to  God ;  but  why  he  should  be  so 
eternity  alone  will  unfold. 

HoAV,  then,  did  the  sinner  reply  to  the  faithful  and 
gracious  inquiry  of  the  Blessed  God  ?  Alas  !  the  reply 
only  reveals  the  awful  depth  of  evil  into  which  he  had 
fallen.  "  And  he  said,  I  heard  thy  voice  in  the  garden, 
and  I  was  afraid,  because  I  was  naked  ;  and  I  hid  my- 
self. And  he  said,  Who  told  thee  that  thou  wast 
naked  ?  Hast  thou  eaten  of  the  tree,  whereof  I  com- 
manded thee  that  thou  shouldest  not  eat  ?    And  the  man 


CHAPTER   III.  51 

said,  The  woman  whom  thou  gavest  to  be  with  me,  she 
gave  me  of  the  tree,  and  I  did  eat."  Here,  we  find  him 
actually  laying  the  blame  of  his  shameful  fall  on  the 
circumstances  in  which  God  had  placed  him,  and  thus, 
indirectly,  upon  God  himself.  This  .has  ever  been  the 
way  with  fallen  man.  Every  one  and  every  thing  is 
bkmed  but  self.  In  the  case  of  true  conviction,  the 
very  reverse  is  exhibited.  "Is  it  not  I  that  have 
sinned  ?"  is  the  inquiry  of  a  truly  humbled  soul.  Had 
Adam  known  himself,  how  different  would  have  been 
his  style  !  But  he  neither  knew  himself  nor  God,  and, 
therefore,  instead  of  throwing  the  blame  entirely  upon 
himself,  he  threw  it  upon  God. 

Here,  then,  was  man's  terrible  position.  He  had  lost 
all.  His  dominion — his  dignity  —  his  happiness  —  his 
innocence — his  purity — his  peace — all  was  gone  from 
him  ;  and,  what  was  still  worse,  he  accused  God  of 
being  the  cause  of  it.*     There  he  stood,  a  lost,  ruined, 

*  Man  not  only  accuses  God  of  being  the  author  of  his  fall,  but 
also  blames  him  for  his  non-recovery.  How  often  do  we  hear  per- 
sons say  that  they  cannot  believe  unless  God  give  them  the  power 
to  believe;  and,  further,  that  unless  they  are  the  subjects  of  God's 
eternal  decree,  they  cannot  be  saved. 

Now,  it  is  perfectly  true,  that  no  man  can  believe  the  gospel, 
except  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost;  and  it  is  also  true,  that 
all  who  so  believe  the  gospel  are  the  happy  subjects  of  God's 
eternal  counsels.  But  does  all  this  set  aside  man's  responsibility 
to  believe  a  plain  testimony  set  before  him  in  God's  Word?  It 
most  certainly  does  no  such  thing.  But  it  does  reveal  the  sad 
evil  of  man's  heart,  which  leads  him  to  reject  God's  teafimovij  which 
is  plainly  revealed,  and  to  give  as  a  reason  for  so  doing  God's 
decree,  which  is  a  profound  secret,  known  only  to  himself.  How- 
ever, it  will  not  avail,  for  we  read  in  1  Thess.  i.  8,  9,  that  those 
"who  obey  not  the  gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  shall  be 
punished  with  everlasting  destruction." 


58  GENESIS. 

guilty,  and   yet,  self-vindicating,   and,   therefore,    God- 
accusing  sinner. 

Bnt,  just  at  this  point,  God  began  to  reveal  him- 
self, and  his  purposes  of  redeeming  love  ;  and  herein 
lay  the  true  basis  of  man's  peace  and  blessedness. 
When  man  has  come  to  the  end  of  himself,  God  can 
show  what  he  is ;  but  not  until  then.  The  scene 
must  be  entirely  cleared  of  man,  and  all  his  vain  pre- 
tensions, empty  boastings,  and  blasphemous  reasonings, 
ere  God  can  or  will  reveal  himself.  Thus  it  was  when 
man  was  hidden  behind  the  trees  of  the  garden,  that 
God  unfolded  his  Vv-ondrous  plan  of  redemption  through 
the  instrumentality  of  the  bruised  seed  of  the  woman. 
Here  we  are  taught  a  valuable  principle  of  truth  as  to 
what  it  is  which  alone  will  bring  a  man,  peacefully  and 
confidingly,  into  the  presence  of  God. 

Men  are  responsible  to  believe  the  gospel,  and  they  Avill  be 
punished  for  not  believing  it.  They  are  not  responsible  to  know 
any  thing  about  God's  counsels,  inasmuch  as  they  are  not  revealed, 
and,  therefore,  there  can  be  no  guilt  attached  to  ignorance  con- 
cerning them.  The  apostle  could  say  to  the  Thessalonians,  "  know- 
ing, brethren  beloved,  your  election  of  God.''  How  did  he  know 
it?  Was  it  by  having  afccss  to  the  page  of  God's  secret  and 
eternal  decrees?  By  no  means.  How  then?  ''Because  [S^i)  our 
gospel  came  not  unto  you  in  word  only,  but  also  in  power." 
(1  Thess.  i.  4,  5.)  This  is  the  way  to  know  tho  election  of  any. 
When  the  gospel  comes  in  power,  it  is  a  plain  proof  of  God's 
election. 

But,  I  doubt  not,  the  people  who  draw  a  plea  from  the  divin? 
counsels  for  rejecting  the  divine  testimony,  only  want  some  flimsy 
excuse  to  continue  in  sin.  They  really  do  not  want  God;  and  it 
would  be  far  more  honest  in  them  to  say  so,  plainly,  than  to  put 
forward  a  plea  which  is  not  merely  flimsy,  but  positively  blasphe- 
mous. Such  a  plea  will  not  avail  them  much  amid  tho  terrors  of 
the  day  of  judgment,  now  fast  approaching. 


CHAPTER   III.      ^  59 

It  has  been  already  remarked  that  conscience  will 
never  effect  this.  Conscience  drove  Adam  behind  the 
trees  of  the  garden ;  revelation  brought  him  forth  into 
the  presence  of  God.  The  consciousness  of  what  he  was 
terrified  him  ;  the  revelation  of  what  God  was  tran- 
quillized him.  This  is  truly  consolatory  for  a  poor  sin- 
burdened  heart.  The  reality  of  what  I  am  is  met  by 
the  reality  of  what  God  is  ;  and  this  is  salvation. 

There  is  a  point  where  God  and  man  must  meet, 
whether  in  grace  or  judgment,  and  that  point  is  where 
both  are  revealed  as  they  ar-e.  Happy  are  they  who 
reach  that  point  in  grace  !  Woe  be  to  them  who  will 
have  to  reach  it  in  judgment !  It  is  with  what  we  are 
that  God  deals ;  and  it  is  as  he  is  that  he  deals  with 
us.  In  the  cross,  I  see  God  descending  in  grace  to  the 
lowest  depths,  not  m.erely  of  my  negative,  but  my 
positive  condition,  as  a  sinner.  This  gives  perfect  peace. 
If  God  has  met  me,  in  my  actual  condition,  and  him- 
self provided  an  adequate  remedy,  all  is  eternally 
settled.  But  all  who  do  not  thus,  by  faith,  sec  God,  in 
the  cross,  will  have  to  meet  him,  by  and  by,  in  judg- 
ment, when  he  will  have  to  deal,  according  to  what  he 
is,  with  w^hat  they  are. 

The  moment  a  man  is  brought  to  know  his  real  state, 
he  can  find  no  rest  until  he  has  found  God,  in  the  cross, 
and  then  he  re'sts  in  God  himself.  He,  blessed  be  his 
name,  is  the  Rest  and  Hiding-place  of  the  believing  soul. 
This,  at  once,  puts  human  works  and  human  righteous- 
ness in  their  proper  place.  We  can  say,  with  truth, 
that  those  who  rest  in  such  things  cannot  possibly  have 
arrived  at  the  true  knowledge  of  themselves.  It  is 
quite  impossible  that  a  divinely  quickened  conscience 


6#  "*  GENESIS. 

can  rest  in  aug-ht  save  the  perfect  sacrifice  of  the  Son 
of  Grod.  All  effort  to  establish  one's  own  righteousness 
must  proceed  from  ignorance  of  the  righteousness  of 
God.  Adam  might  learn,  in  the  light  of  the  divine 
testimony  about  "  the  seed  of  the  woman,"  the  worth- 
lessness  of  his  fig-leaf  apron.  The  magnitude  of  that 
which  had  to  be  done,  proved  the  sinner's  total  inability 
to  do  it.  Sin  had  to  be  put  away.  Could  man  do  that? 
Nay.  it  was  by  him  it  had  come  in.  The  serpent's 
head  had  to  be  bruised.  Could  man  do  that  ?  Nay,  he 
had  become  the  serpent's  slave.  God's  claims  had  to  be 
met.  Could  man  do  that  ?  Nay,  he  had  already 
trampled  them  under  foot.  Death  had  to  be  abolished. 
Could  man  do  that  ?  Nay,  he  had,  by  sin,  introduced 
it,  and  imparted  to  it  its  terrible  sting. 

Thus,  in  whatever  way  we  view  the  matter,  we  see 
the  sinner's  complete  impotency,  and,  as  a  consequence, 
the  presumptuous  folly  of  all  who  attempt  to  assist 
God  in  the  stupendous  work  of  redemption,  as  all 
assuredly  do  who  think  to  be  saved  in  any  other  way 
but  "  by  grace,  through  faith." 

However,  though  Adam  might,  and,  through  grace, 
did,  see  and  feel  that  he  could  never  accomplish  all 
that  had  to  be  done,  yet  God  revealed  himself  as  about 
to  achieve  every  jot  and  tittle  thereof,  by  the  seed  of 
the  woman.  In  short,  we  see  that  he  "graciously  took 
the  fentire  matter  into  his  own  hands.  He  made  it, 
altogether,  a  question  between  himself  and  the  ser- 
pent ;  for  although  the  man  and  the  woman  were  called 
upon,  individually,  to  reap,  in  various  ways,  the  bitter 
fruits  of  their  sin,  yet  it  was  to  the  serpent  that  the 
Lord  God  said,  "Because  thou  hast  done  this."    The 


CHAPTER  in.  61 

serpent  was  the  source  of  the  ruin  ;  and  the  seed  of  the 
woman  was  to  be  the  source  of  the  redemption.  Adam 
heard  all  this,  and  believed  it ;  and,  in  the  power  of 
that  belief,  "he  called  his  wife's  name  the  mother  of 
all  living."  This  was  a  precious  fruit  of  faith  in  God's 
revelation.  Looking  at  the  matter  from  nature's  point 
of  view.  Eve  might  be  called,  ''the  mother  of  all 
dying."  But,  in  the  judgment  of  faith,  she  was  the 
mother  of  all  living.  "  His  mother  called  him  Ben-oni  ; 
(the  son  of  my  sorrow  ;)  but  his  father  called  him 
Benjamin  (the  son  of  my  right  hand)." 

It  was  through  the  ..sustaining  energy  of  faith  that 
Adam  was  enabled  to  endure  the  terrible  results  of 
what  he  had  done.  It  was  God's  wondrous  mercy  to 
allow  him  to  hear  what  he  said  to  the  serpent,  before 
he  was  called  to  listen  to  what  he  had  to  say  to  him- 
self. Had  it  not  been  so,  he  must  have  been  plunged 
in  despair.  It  is  despair  to  be  called  upon  to  look  at 
myself,  without  being  able  to  look  at  God,  as  revealed 
in  the  cross,  for  my  salvation.  There  is  no  child  of 
fallen  Adam  who  could  bear  to  have  his  eyes  opened  to 
the  reality  of  what  he  is,  and  what  he  has  done,  with- 
out being  plunged  in  despair,  unless  he  could  take 
refuge  in  the  cross.  Hence,  in  that  place  to  which  all 
who  reject  Christ  must  finally  be  consigned,  hope  can- 
not come.  There,  men's  eyes  will  be  opened  to  the 
reality  of  what  they  are,  and  what  they  have  done ; 
but  they  will  not  be  able  to  find  relief  and  refuge  in 
God.  What  God  is,  will,  the-n,  involve  hopeless  per- 
dition; as  truly  as  what  God  is,  doth,  now,  iiA'clve 
eternal  salvation.  The  holiness  of  God  will,  then,  be 
eternally  against  them ;  as  it  is  now  that  in  which  all 
6 


62  GENESIS. 

who  believe  are  called  to  rejoice.  The  more  I  realize 
the  holiness  of  God,  now,  the  more  I  know  my  security  ; 
but,  in  the  case  of  the  lost,  that  very  holiness  will  be 
but  the  ratification  of  their  eternal  doom.  Solemn — . 
unspeakably  solemn — reflection  ! 

We  shall,  now,  briefly  glance  at  the  truth  presented 
to  us  in  God's  providing  coats  for  Adam  and  Eve. 
"  Unto  Adam,  also,  and  to  his  wife,  did  the  Lord  God 
make  coats  of  skins,  and  clothed  them."  We  have  here, 
in  figure,  the  great  doctrine  of  divine  righteousness 
set  forth.  The  robe  which  God  provided  was  an 
effectual  covering,  because  he  provided  it ;  just  as  the 
apron  was  an  ineffectual  covering  because  man  had 
provided  it.  Moreover,  God's  coat  was  founded  upon 
blood-shedding.  Adam's  apron  was  not.  So  also,  now, 
God's  righteousness  is  set  forth  in  the  cross  ;  man's 
righteousness  is  set  forth  in  the  works,  the  sin-stained 
vrorks,  of  his  own  hands.  When  Adam  stood  clothed 
in  the  coat  of  skin  he  could  not  say,  "  I  was  naked," 
nor  had  he  any  occasion  to  hide  himself.  The  sinner 
may. feel  perfectly  at  rest,  when,  by  faith,  ha  knows 
that  God  has  clothed  him  :  but  to  feel  at  rest  till  then, 
can  only  be  the  result  of  presumption  or  ignorance. 
To  know  that  the  dress  I  wear,  and  in  which  I  appear 
before  God,  is  of  his  own  providing,  must  set  my 
heart  at  perfect  rest.  There  can  be  no  true,  permanent 
rest  in  aught  else. 

The  closing  verses  of  this  chapter  are  full  of  instruc- 
tion. Fallen  man,  in  his  fallen  state,  must  not  be 
allotted  to  eat  of  the  fruit  of  the  tree  of  life,  for  that 
w^ould  entail  upon  him  endless  wretchedness  in  this 
world.     To  take  of  the  tree  of  life,  and  eat,  and  live 


CHAPTER   III.  63 

forever,  in  our  present  condition,  would  be  unmingled 
misery.  The  tree  of  life  can  only  be  tasted  in  resur- 
rection. To  live  forever,  in  a  frail  tabernacle,  in  a 
body  of  sin  and  death,  would  be  intolerable.  Where- 
fore, the  Lord  God  "drove  out  the  man."  He  drove 
him  out  into  a  world  which,  everywhere,  exhibited 
the  lamentable  results  of  his  fall.  The  Cherubim 
and  the  flaming  sword,  too,  forbid  fallen  man  to 
pluck  the  fruit  of  the  tree  of  life  ;  while  God's  revela- 
tion pointed  him  to  the  death  and  resurrection  of  the 
seed  of  the  woman,  as  that  wherein  life  was  to  be  found 
beyond  the  power  of  death. 

Thus  Adam  was  a  happier,  and  a  safer  man,  outside 
the  bounds  of  Paradise,  than  he  had  been  within,  for 
this  reason — that,  within,  his  life  depended  upon  him- 
self;  whereas,  outside,  it  depended  upon  another,  even 
a  promised  Christ.  And  as  he  looked  up,  and  beheld 
''  the  Cherubim  and  the  flaming  sword,"  he  could  bless 
the  hand  that  had  set  them  there,  "to  keep  the  way 
of  the  tree  of  life,"  inasmuch  as  the  same  hand  had 
opened  a  better,  a  safer,  and  a  happier  way  to  that  tree. 
If  the  Cherubim  and  flaming  sword  stopped  up  the  way 
to  Paradise,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  has  opened  "  a  new 
and  living  way  "  into  the  holiest  of  all.  "  I  am  the 
way,  the  truth,  and  the  life ;  no  man  cometh  unto 
the  Father,  but  by  me."  (Compare  John  xiv.  6; 
Heb.  X.  20.)  In  the  knowledge  of  this,  the  belie vei 
now  moves  onward  through  a  world  which  is  under  the 
curse, — where  the  traces  of  sin  are  visible  on  all  hands. 
He  has  found  his  way,  by  faith,  to  the  bosom  of  the 
Pather  ;  and  while  he  can  secretly  repose  there,  he  is 
cheered  by  the  blessed  assurance  that  the  one  who  has 


64  GENESIS. 

conducted  him  thither,  is  gone  to  prepare  a  place  in  the 
many  mansions  of  the  Father's  house,  and  that  he  will 
soon  come  again  and  receive  him  unto  himself,  amid 
the  glory  of  the  Father's  kingdom.  Thus,  in  the 
bosom,  the  house,  and  the  kingdom  of  the  Father, 
the  believer  finds  his  present  portion,  his  future  home 
and  reward. 


CHAPTERS  ly.,  Y. 

As  ea,ch  section  of  the  Book  of  Genesis  opens  before 
us,  we  are  furnished  with  fresh  evidence  of  the  fact 
that  we  are  travelling  over,  what  a  recent  writer  "has 
well  termed,  "the  seed-plot  of  the  whole  Bible  ;"  and 
not  only  so,  but  the  seed-plot  of  man's  entire  history. 

Thus,  in  the  fourth  chapter,  we  have,  in  the  persons 
of  Cain  and  Abel,  the  first  examples  of  a  religious  man 
of  the  world,  and  of  a  genuine  man  of  faith.  Born,  as 
they  were,  outside  of  Eden,  and  being  the  sons  of 
fallen  Adam,  they  could  have  nothing,  n'atural,  to  dis- 
tinguish them,  one  from  the  other.  They  were  both 
sinners.  Both  had  a  fallen  nature.  Neither  was 
innocent.  It  is  well  to  be  clear  in  reference  to  this,  in 
order  that  the  reality  of  divine  grace,  and  the  integrity 
of  faith,  may  be  fully  and  distinctly  seen.  If  the  dis- 
tinction between  Cain  and  Abel  were  founded  in  nature, 
then  it  follows,  as  an  inevitable  conclusion,  that  they 


CHAPTERS   IV.,    V.  65 

were  not  the  partakers  of  the  fallen  nature  of  their 
father,  nor  the  participators  in  the  circumstances  of  his 
fall ;  and,  hence,  there  could  be  no  room  for  the  display 
of  grace,  and  the  exercise  of  faith. 

Some  would  teach  us  that  every  man  is  born  with 
qualities  and  capacities  which,  if  rightly  used,  will 
enable  him  to  work  his  way  back  to  God.  This  is  a 
plain  denial  of  the  fact  so  clearly  set  forth  in  the  history 
now  before  us.  Cain  and  Abel  were  born,  not  inside, 
but  outside  of  Paradise.  They  were  the  sons,  not  of 
innocent,  but  of  fallen  Adam.  They  came  into  the 
world  as  the  partakers  of  the  nature  of  their  father ; 
and  it  mattered  not  in  what  phase  that  nature  miirht 
display  itself,  it  was  nature  still, — fallen,  ruined,  irre- 
mediable nature.  "That  which  is  born  of  the  flesh  is 
(not  merely  fleshly,  but)  flesh ;  and  that  which  is  born 
of  the  Spirit  is,  (not  merely  spiritual,  but)  spirit." 
(John  iii.) 

If  ever  there  was  a  fair  opportunity  for  the  distinc- 
tive qualities,  capacities,  resources,  and  tendencies  of 
nature  to  manifest  themselves,  the  lifetime  of  Cain  and 
Abel  furnished  it.  If  there  were  aught  in  nature, 
whereby  it  could  recover  its  lost  innocence,  and  estab- 
lish itself  again  within  the  bounds  of  Eden,  this  was 
the  moment  for  its  display.  But  there  was  nothing  of 
the  kind.  They  were  both  lost.  They  were  "flesh." 
They  were  not  innocent.  Adam  lost  his  innocence  and 
never  regained  it.  He  can  only  be  looked  at  as  the 
fallen  head  of  a  fallen  race,  who,  by  his  "disobedience," 
were  made  "sinners."  (Rom.  v.  19.)  He  became,  so  far 
as  he  was  personally  concerned,  the  corrupt  source, 
from  whence  have  emanated   the  corrupt  streams  of 

E 


6«!  GENESIS. 

ruined  and  guilty  humanity, — the  dead  trunk  from  which 
have  shot  forth  the  branches  of  a  dead  humanity, 
morally  and  spiritually  dead. 

True,  as  we  have  already  remarked,  he  himself  was 
made  a  subject  of  grace,  and  the  possessor  and  ex- 
hibitor of  a  lively  faith  in  a  promised  Savior;  but 
this  was  not  any  thing  natural,  but  something  entirely 
divine.  And,  inasmuch  as  it  was  not  natural,  neither 
was  it  within  the  range  of  nature's  capacity  to  com- 
municate it.  It  was  not,  by  any  means,  hereditary. 
Adam  could  not  bequeath  nor  impart  his  faith  to  Cain 
or  Abel.  His  possession  thereof  was  simply  the  fruit 
of  love  divine.  It  was  implanted  in  his  soul  by  divine 
power ;  and  he  had  not  divine  power  to  communicate  it 
to  another.  Whatever  was  natural,  Adam  could,  in  the 
way  of  nature,  communicate  ;  but  nothing  more.  And 
seeing  that  he,  as  a  father,  was  in  a  condition  of  ruin, 
his  son  could  only  be  in  the  same.  As  is  the  begetter, 
so  are  they  also  that  are  begotten  of  him.  They  must, 
of  necessity,  partake  of  the  nature  of  him  from  whom 
they  have  sprung.  ''As  is  the  earthy,  such  are  they 
also  that  are  earthy,"  (1  Cor.  xv.  48.) 

Nothing  can  be  more  important,  in  its  way,  than  a 
correct  understanding  of  the  doctrine  of  federal  head- 
ship. If  my  reader  will  turn,  for  a  moment,  to  Rom. 
V.  12-21,  he  will  find  that  the  inspired  apostle  looks 
at  the  whole  human  race  as  comprehended '  under  two 
heads.  I  do  not  attempt  to  dwell  on  the  passage  ;  but 
merely  refer  to  it,  in  connection  with  the  subject  in 
hand.  The  fifteenth  chapter  of  first  Corinthians  will 
also  furnish  instruction  of  a  similar  character.  In  the 
first  man,  we  have  sin,  disobedience,  and   death.     Id 


CHAPTERS    IV.,    V.  67 

the  Second  man,  we  have  righteousness,  obedience,  and 
life.  As  we  derive  a  nature  from  the  former,  so  do  we 
also  from  the  latter.  No  doubt,  each  nature  will  dis- 
play, in  eajch  specific  case,  its  own  peculiar  energies  ;  it 
will  manifest,  in  each  individual  possessor  thereof,  its 
own  peculiar  powers.  Still,  there  is  the  absolute  pos-  ^ 
session  of  a  real,  abstract,  positive  nature. 

Now,  as  the  mode  in  which  we  derive  a  nature  from 
the  first  man  is  by  birth,  so  the  mode  in  which  we 
derive  a  nature  from  the  Second  man  is  by  new  birth. 
Being  born,  we  partake  of  the  nature  of  the  former ; 
being  ''born  again,'^  we  partake  of  the  nature  of  the 
latter.  A  newly-born  infant,  though  entirely  incapable 
of  performing  the  act  which  reduced  Adam  to  the  con- 
dition of  a  fallen  being,  is,  nevertheless,  a  partaker  of 
his  nature  ;  and  so,  also,  a  newly-born  child  of  God, — a 
newly-regenerated  soul,  though  having  nothing  what- 
ever to  do  with  the  working-out  of  the  perfect  obedience 
of  "  the  man  Christ  Jesus,"  is,  nevertheless,  a  partaker 
of  his  nature.  True  it  is  that,  attached  to  the  former 
nature,  there  is  sin  ;  and  attached  to  the  latter,  there  is 
righteousness, — man's  sin,  in  the  former  case  ;  God's 
righteousness  in  the  latter  :  yet,  all  the  while,  there  is 
the  actual,  bond  fide  participation  of  a  real  nature,  let 
the  adjuncts  be  what  they  may.  The  child  of  Adam  ^ 
partakes  of  the  human  nature  and  its  adjuncts  ;  the 
child  of  God  partakes  of  the  divine  nature  and  its 
adjuncts.  The  former  nature  is  according  to  "  the 
will  of  man,"  (John  i.,)  the  latter  is  according  to  "the 
will  of  God;"  as  St.  James,  by  the  Holy  Ghost, 
teaches  us,  "  of  his  OAvn  will  begat  he  us  by  the  word 
of  truth."     (James  i.  18.) 


68' 


GENESIS. 


From  all  that  lias  been  said,  it  follows,  that  Abel 
was  not  distinguished  from  his  brother  Cain  by  any 
thing  natural.  The  distinction  between  them  was  not 
grounded  upon  aught  in  their  nature  or  circumstances, 
for,  as  to  these,  ''there  was  no  difference."  What, 
therefore,  made  the  vast  difference  ?  The  answer  is  as 
simple  as  the  gospel  of  the  grace  of  God  can  make  it. 
The  difference  was  not  in  themselves,  in  their  nature, 
or  their  circumstances ;  it  lay,  entirely,  in  their  sacri- 
Jices.  This  makes  the  matter  most  simple,  for  any  truly 
convicted  sinner, — for  any  one  who  truly  feels  that  he 
not  only  partakes  of  a  fallen  nature,  but  is  himself,  also, 
a  sinner.  The  history  of  Abel  opens,  to  such  an  one, 
the  only  true  ground  of  his  approach  to,  his  standing 
before,  and  his  relationship  with,  God.  It  teaches  him, 
distinctly,  that  he  cannot  come  to  God  on  the  ground 
of  any  thing  in,  of,  or  pertaining  to,  nature  ;  and  he 
must  seek,  outside  himself,  and  in  the  person  and  Avork 
of  another,  the  true  and  everlasting  basis  of  his  con- 
nection with  the  Holy,  the  Just,  and  only  True  God. 
The  eleventh  chapter  of  Hebrews  sets  the  whole  subject 
before  us,  in  the  most  distinct  and  comprehensive  way. 
"  By  faith  Abel  offered  unto  God  a  more  excellent 
sacrifice  {TfkPiova  ^rcrtar)  than  Cain,  by  which  he  ob- 
tained witness  that  he  was  righteous,  God  bearing 
witness  (uaptvpowto^)  to  his  gifts ;  and  by  it  he  being 
dead  yet  speaketh."  Here  we  are  taught  that  it  was, 
in  nowise,  a  question  as  to  the  men,  but  only  as  to 
their  "  sacrifice," — it  was  not  a  question  as  to  the 
offerer,  but  as  to  his  offering.  Here  lay  the  grand 
distinction  between  Cain  and  Abel,  My  reader  cannot 
be   too  simple  in  his   apprehension  of  this  point,  for 


CHAPTERS    lY.,    V.  69 

therein  lies  involved  the  truth  as  to  any  sinner's  stand- 
ing before  God. 

And,  now,  let  us  inquire  what  the  offerings  were. 
*'Aud  in  process  of  time  it  came  to  pass,  that  Cain 
brought  of  the  fruit  of  the  ground  an  offering  unto 
Jehovah.  And  Abel,  he  also  brought  of  the  firstlings 
of  his  flock,  and  of  the  fat  thereof.  And  the  Lord  had 
respect  unto  Abel,  and  to  his  offering ;  but  unto  Cain 
and  to  his  offering,  he  had  not  respect.  (Gen.  iv.'  3-5.) 
This  passage  sets  the  difference  clearly  before  us :  Cain 
offered  to  Jehovah  the  fruit  of  a  cursed  earth,  and  that, 
moreover,  without  any  blood  to  remove  the  curse.  He 
presented  "  an  unbloody  sacrifice,"  simply  because  he 
had  no  faith.  Had  he  possessed  that  divine  principle, 
it  would  have  taught  him,  even  at  this  early  moment, 
that  "  without  shedding  of  blood  there  is  no  remission." 
(Heb.  ix.)  This  is  a  great  cardinal  truth.  The  penalty 
of  sin  is  death.  Cain  was  a  sinner,  and,  as  such,  death 
stood  between  him  and  Jehovah.  But,  in  his  offering, 
there  was  no  recognition  whatever  of  this  fact.  Ther^ 
was  no  presentation  of  a  sacrificed  life,  to  meet  the 
claims  of  divine  holiness,  or  to  answer  to  his  own  true 
condition  as  a  sinner.  He  treated  Jehovah  as  though 
he  were,  altogether,  such  an  one  as  himself,  who  could 
accept  the  sin- stained  fruit  of  a  cursed  earth. 

All  this,  and  much  more,  lay  involved  in  Cain's 
'' unbloody  sacrifice."  He  displayed  entire  ignorance 
in  reference  to  divine  requirements,  in  reference  to  his 
own  character  and  condition  as  a  lost  and  guilty  sinner, 
and  in  reference  to  the  true  state  of  that  ground,  the 
fruit  of  which  he  presumed  to  offer.  'No  doubt,  reason 
might  say,  "  what  more  acceptable  offering  could  a  man 


^0  GENESIS. 

present,  than  that  which  he  had  produced  by  the  labor 
of  his  hands,  and  the  sweat  of  his  brow  ?"  Reason, 
and  even  man's  religious  mind,  may  think  thus  ;  but 
God  thinks  quite  differently  ;  and  faith  is  always  sure 
to  agree  with  God's  thoughts.  God  teaches,  and  faith 
believes,  that  there  must  be  a  sacrificed  life,  else  there 
can  be  no  approach  to  God. 

Thus,  when  we  look  at  the  ministry  of  the  Lord 
Jesus,  we  see,  at  once,  that,  had  he  not  died  upon  the 
cross,  all  his  services  would  have  proved  utterly  una- 
vailing as  regards  the  establishment  of  our  relationship 
with  God.  True,  "he  went  about  doing  good"  all  his 
life  ;  but  it  was  his  death  that  rent  the  veil.  (Matt. 
xxvii.  51.)  Naught  but  his  death  could  have  done  so. 
Had  he  continued,  to  the  present  moment,  ''going 
about  doing  good,"  tl>e  veil  would  have  remained  en- 
tire, to  bar  the  worshipper's  approach  into  "  the  holiest 
of  all."  Hence  we  can  see  the  false  ground  on  which 
Cain  stood  as  an  offerer  and  a  worshipper.  An  un- 
pardoned sinner  coming  into  the  presence  of  Jehovah, 
to  present  "  an  unbloody  sacrifice,"  could  only  be  re- 
garded as  guilty  of  the  highest  degree  of  presumption. 
True,  he  had  toiled  to  produce  this  offering;  but  what 
of  that  ?  Could  a  sinner's  toil  remove  the  curse  and 
stain  of  sin  ?  Could  it  satisfy  the  claims  of  an  in- 
finitely holy  God  ?  Could  it  furnish  a  proper  ground 
of  acceptance  for  a  sinner  ?  Could  it  set  aside  the 
penalty  which  was  due  to  sin  ?  Could  it  rob  death  of 
its  sting,  or  the  grave  of  its  victory  ?  Could  it  do  any 
or  all  of  these  things  ?  Impossible.  "  Without  shed- 
ding of  blood  is  no  remission."  Cain's  "unbloody  sacri- 
fice," like  every  other  unbloody  sacrifice,  was  not  only 


CHAPTERS    IV.,    V.  Yl 

worthless,  but  actually  abominable,  in  the  divine  esti- 
mation. It  not  only  demonstrated  his  entire  ignorance 
of  his  own  condition,  but  also  of  the  divine  character. 
"  God  is  not  worshipped  with  men's  hands  as  though  he 
needed  any  thing."  And  yet  Cain  thought  he  could  be 
thus  approached.  And  every  mere  religionist  thinks 
the  same.  Cain  has  had  many  millions  of  followers,' 
from  age  to  age.  Cain- worship  has  abounded  all  over 
the  world.  It  is  the  worship  of  every  unconverted  soul, 
and  is  maintained  by  every  false  system  of  religion 
under  the  sun. 

Man  would  fain  make  God  a  receiver  instead  of  a 
giver  ;  but  this  cannot  be  ;  for,  ''  it  is  more  blessed  to 
give  than  to  receive  ;"  and,  assuredly,  God  must  have 
the  more  blessed  place.  ''Without  all  contradiction, 
the  less  is  blessed  of  the  better."  "Who  hath  first 
given  to  him  ?"  God  can  accept  the  smallest  gift  from 
a  heart  which  has  learnt  the  deep  truth  contained  in 
those  words,  "  of  thine  own  have  we  given  thee  ;"  but, 
the  moment  a  man  presumes  to  take  the  place  of  the 
"first"  giver,  God's  reply  is,  '*  if  I  were  hungry,  I  would, 
not  tell  thee  ;"  for  "  he  is  not  worshipped  with  men's 
Jiands,  as  though  he  needed  any  thing,  seeing  he  giveth 
to  all  life  and  breath  and  all  things."  The  great  Giver 
of  "all  things"  cannot  possibly  "need  any  thing." 
Praise  is  all  that  we  can  offer  to  God  ;  but  this  can  only 
be  offered  in  the  full  and  clear  intelligence  that  our  sins 
are  all  put  away  ;  and  this  again  can  only  be  known  by 
faith  in  the  virtue  of  an  accomplished  atonement. 

My  readers  may  pause,  here,  and  read  prayerfully  the 
following  scriptures,  namely.  Psalm  1.  ;  Isaiah  i.  11-18  ; 
and  Acts  xvii.  22-34,  in  all  of  which  he  will  find  dis- 


ii 


GENESIS. 


tinctly  laid  down  the  truth  as  to  man's  true  position 
before  God,  as  also  the  proper  ground  of  worship. 

Let  us  now  consider  Abel's  sacrifice.  "  And  Abel, 
he  also  brought  of  the  firstlings  of  his  flock,  and  of  the 
fat  thereof."  In  other  words,  he  entered,  by  faith, 
into  the  glorious  truth,  that  God  could  be  approached 
by  sacrifice ;  that  there  was  such  a  thing  as  a  sinner's 
placing  the  death  of  another  between  himself  and  the 
consequence  of  his  sin,  that  the  claims  of  God's  nature 
and  the  attributes  of  his  character  could  be  met  by  the 
blood  of  a  spotless  victim, — a  victim  offered  to  meet 
God's  demands,  and  the  sinner's  deep  necessities.  This 
is,  in  short,  the  doctrine  of  the  cross,  in  which  alone  the 
conscience  of  a  sinner  can  find  repose,  because,  therein. 
God  is  fully  glorified. 

Every  divinely-convicted  sinner  must  feel  that  death 
and  judgment  are  before  him,  as  ''the  due  reward  of 
his  deeds  ;"  nor  can  he,  by  aught  that  he  can  accom- 
plish, alter  that  destiny.  He  may  toil  and  labor  ;  he 
may,  by  the  sweat  of  his  brow,  produce  an  offering  ;  he 
may  make  vows  and  resolutions  ;  he  may  alter  his  way 
of  life  ;  he  may  reform  his  outward  character  ;  he  may 
be  temperate,  moral,  upright,  and,  in  the  human  ac^ 
ceptation  of  the  word,  religious  ;  he  may,  though  en- 
tirely destitute  of  faith,  read,  pray,  and  hear  sermons. 
In  short,  he  may  do  any  thing,  or  everything  which  lies 
within  the  range  of  human  competency ;  but,  notwith- 
standing all,  "  death  and  judgment "  are  before  him. 
He  has  not  been  able  to  disperse  those  two  heavy 
clouds  which  have  gathered  upon  the  horizon.  There 
they  stand  ;  and,  so  far  from  being  able  to  remove  them, 
by  all  his  doings,  he  can  only  live  in  the  gloomy  antici- 


CH.UTERS  IV.,  V-  t3 

pation  of  the  moment  when  they  shall  burst  upon  his 
guilty  head.  It  is  impossible  for  a  sinner,  by  his  own 
works^  to  place  himself  in  life  and  triumph,  at  the 
other  side  of  "  death  and  judgment,*' — yea,  his  very 
work^  are  only  performed  for  the  purpose  of  preparing 
him,  if  possible,  for  those  dreaded  realities. 

Here,  however,  is  exactly  where  the  cross  comes  in. 
In  that  cross,  the  convicted  sinner  can  behold  a  divine 
provision  for  all  his  guilt  and  all  his  need.  There,  too, 
he  can  see  death  and  judgment  entirely  removed  from 
the  scene,  and  life  and  glory  set  in  their  stead.  Christ 
has  cleared  the  prospect  of  death  and  judgment,  so  far 
as  the  true  believer  is  concerned,  and  filled  it  with  life, 
righteousness,  and  glory.  "He  hath  abolished  death, 
and  brought  life  and  iacorruptibility  to  light,  through 
the  gospel."  (2  Tim.  i.  10.)  He  has  glorified  God  in 
the  putting  away  of  that  which  would  have  separated 
us,  forever,  from  his  holy  and  blissful  presence.  "  He 
has  put  away  sin,"'  and  hence  it  is  gone.  (Heb.  ix.  26.) 
All  this  is,  in  type,  set  forth  in  Abel's  "more  excel- 
lent sacrifice."  There  was  no  attempt,  on  Abel's  part, 
to  set  aside  the  truth  as  to  his  own  condition,  and  pro- 
per place  as  a  guilty  sinner, — no  attempt  to  turn  aside 
the  edge  of  the  flaming  swoi-d,  and  force  his  way  back 
to  the  tree  of  life, — no  presumptuous  offering  of  an 
^'unbloody  sacrifice," — no  presentation  of  the  fruit  of  a 
cursed  earth  to  Jehovah, — lie  took  the  real  ground  of  a 
sinner,  and,  as  such,  set  the  death  of  a  victim  between 
him  and  his  sins,  and  between  his  sins  and  the  holiness 
of  a  sin-hating  God.  This  was  most  simple.  Abel  de- 
served death  and  judgment,  but  he  found  a  substitute. 

Thus  is  it  with  every  poor,  helpless,  self- condemned, 
T 


7:4  GENESIS. 

conscience-smitten  sinner.  Christ  is  his  substitute,  his 
ransom,  his  most  excellent  sacrifice,  his  all.  Such  an 
one  will  feel,  like  Abel,  that  the  fruit  of  the  ground 
could  never  avail  for  him ;  that  were  he  to  present  to 
God  the  fairest  fruits  of  earth,  he  wonld  still  have  a 
sin-stained  conscience,  inasmuch  as  "without  shedding 
of  blood  is  no  remission."  The  richest  fruits,  and  the 
most  fragrant  flowers,  in  the  greatest  profusion,  could 
not  remove  a  single  stain  from  the  conscience.  Nothing 
but  the  perfect  sacrifice  of  the  Son  of  God  can  give 
ease  to  the  heart  and  conscience.  All  who  by  faith  lay 
hold  of  that  divine  reality,  will  enjoy  a  peace  which  the 
world  can  neither  give  nor  take  away.  It  is  faith  which 
puts  the  soul  in  present  possession  of  this  peace.  "  Being 
justified  by  faith,  we  have  peace  with  God,  through  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ."  Q3.om.  v.  1.)  "By  faith  Abel  offered 
unto  God  a  more  excellent  sacrifice  than  Cain." 

It  is  not  a  question  of  feeling,  as  so  many  would 
make  it.  It  is  entirely  a  question  of  faith  in  an  accom- 
plished fact, — faith  wrought  in  the  soul  of  a  sinner,  by 
the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  This  faith  is  something 
quite  different  from  a  mere  feeling  of  the  heart,  or  an 
assent  of  the  intellect.  Feeling  is  not  faith.  Intellec- 
tual assent  is  not  faith.  Some  would  make  faith  to  be 
the  mere  assent  of  the  intellect  to  a  certain  proposition. 
This  is  fearfully  false.  It  makes  the  question  of  faith 
human,  whereas  it  is  really  divine.  It  reduces  it  to 
the  level  of  man,  whereas  it  really  comes  from  God. 
Faith  is  not  a  thing  of  to-day  or  to-morrow.  It  is 
an  imperishable  principle,  emanating  from  an  eternal 
source,  even  God  himself :  it  lays  hold  of  God's  truth, 
and  sets  the  soul  in  God's  presence. 


CHAPTERS   IV.,  V.  15 

Mere  feeling  and  sentimentality  can  never  rise  above 
the  source  from  T\4ience  they  emanate  ;  and  thai  source 
is  self ;  but  faith  has  to  do  with  God  and  his  eternal 
word,   and  is  a  living  link,  connecting  the  heart  that 
possesses  it  with  God  who  gives  it     Human  feelings, 
however  intense, — human  sentiments,  however  refined, — 
could  not  connect  the  soul  with  God.     They  are  neither 
divine   nor   eternal,    but   are   human    and   evanescent. 
They  are  like   Jonah's   gourd,  -which   sprang  up  in  a 
night,  and  perislied  in   a  night     Xot  so  faith.     That 
precious   principle   partakes   of  all   the   value,   all   the 
power,  and  all  the  reality  of  the  source  from  whence  it 
emanates,  and  the  object  with  which  it  has  to  do.     It 
justifies  the  soul;  (Rom.  v.  1;)  it  purifies  the  heart; 
(Acts  XV.  9;)  it  works  by  love;   (Gal.  v.  6;)  it  over- 
comes the  world   (1  John  v.  4.)    Feeling  and  sentiment 
never  could  accomplish  such  results  :   they  belong  to 
nature   and   to  earth, — faith   belongs   to    God    and   to 
heaven ;  they  are  occupied  with  self, — faith  is  occupied 
w^ith  Christ;  they  look  inward  and  downward, — faith 
looks  outward  and   upward ;    they  leave   the   soul   in 
darkness  and  doubt, — faith  leads  it  into  light  and  peace ; 
they  have  to  do  with  one^s  own  fluctuating  condition, — 
faith  has  to  do  with  God's  immutable  truth,  and  Christ's 
eternally-enduring  sacrifice. 

Xo  doubt,  faith  will  produce  feelings  and  sentiments, 
. — spiritual  feelings  and  truthful  sentiments, — but  the 
fi'uits  of  faith  must  never  be  confounded  with  faith  it- 
self. I  am  not  justified  by  feelings,  nor  yet  by  faith 
and  feelings,  but  simply  by  faith.  And  why  ?  Because 
faith  believes  God  when  he  speaks  ;  it  takes  him  at 
his  word ;  it  apprehends  him  as  he  has  revealed  him- 


f6  GENESrS. 

self  in  the  person  and  work  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
This  is  life,  righteousness,  and  peace.  To  apprehend 
God  as  he  is,  is  the  sum  of  all  present  and  eternal 
blessedness.  When  the  soul  finds  out  God,  it  has 
found  out  all  it  can  possibly  need,  here  or  hereafter  ;  but 
he  can  only  be  known  by  his  own  revelation,  and  by  the 
faith  which  he  himself  imparts,  and  which,  moreover, 
alwaysseeks  divine  revelation  as  its  proper  object. 

Thus,  then,  we  can  in  some  measure  enter  into  the 
meaning  and  power  of  the  statement,  "By  faith  Abel 
offered  unto  God  a  more  excellent  sacrifice  than  Cain." 
Cain  had  no  faith,  and  therefore  he  offered  an  unbloody 
sacrifice.  Abel  had  faith,  and  therefore  he  offered 
both  ''blood  and  fat,"  which,  in  type,  set  forth  the 
presentation  of  the  life,  and  also  the  inherent  excellency 
of  the  Person  of  Christ.  "  The  blood"  set  forth  the 
former;  "the  fat"  shadowed  forth  the  latter.  Both 
blood  and  fat  were  forbidden  to  be  eaten  under  the 
Mosaic  economy.  The  blood  is  the  life;  and  man, 
under  law,  had  no  title  to  life.  But,  in  the  sixth  of 
John  we  are  taught  that  unless  we  eat  blood  we  have 
no  life  in  us.  Christ  is  the  life.  There  is  not  a  spark 
of  life  outside  of  him.  All  out  of  Christ  is  death. 
*'  In  him  was  life,"  and  in  none  else. 

Now,  he  gave  up  his  life  on  the  cross ;  and,  to  that 
life,  sin  was  by  imputation  attached,  when  the  ble!>vsed 
One  was  nailed  to  the  cursed  tree.  Hence,  in  giving 
up  his  life,  he  gave  up  also  the  sin  attached  tbei'eto, 
so  that  it  is  effectually  put  away,  having  been  left  in 
his  grave  from  whieh  he  rose  triumphant,  in  the  power 
of  a  new  life,  to  which  righteousness  as  distinctly  at- 
taches itself  as  did  sin  to  that  life  which  he  gave  up 


CHAPTERS   IV.,  V-  It 

on  tlie  cross.  This  will  lielp  us  to  an  understanding  of 
an  expression  used  by  our  blessed  Lord  after  his  resur- 
rection, -"A  spirit  hath  not  flesh  and  bones,  as  ye  see  mt' 
have.''  He  did  not  say,  ''  fiesh  and  blood  ;"  because,  in 
resurrection,  he  had  not  assumed  into  his  sacred  per- 
son the  blood  which  he  had  shed  out  upon  the  cross 
as  an  atonement  for  sin.  ''The  life  of  the  fiesli  is  in 
the  blood,  and  I  hs^e  given  it  to  you  upon  the  altar 
to  make  an  atonement  for  your  souls :  for  it  is  the  blood 
which  maketh  an  atonement  for  the  soul"  (Lev.  xvii. 
11.)  Close  attention  to  this  point  will  have  the  effect 
of  deepening  in  our  souls  the  sense  of  the  complete- 
ness of  the  putting  away  of  sin  by  the  death  of  Christ ; 
and  we  know  that  whatever  tends  to  deepen  our  sense 
of  that  glorious  reality,  must  necessarily  tend  to  the 
fuller  establishment  of  our  peace,  and  to  the  more 
effectual  promotion  of  the  glory  of  Christ  as  connected 
with  our  testimony  and  service. 

We  have  already  referred  to  a  point  of  much  interest 
and  value  in  the  history  of  Cain  and  Abel,  and  that  is, 
the  entire  identification  of  each  with  the  offering  which 
he  presented-  M}'-  reader  cannot  possibly  bestow  too 
much  attention  upon  this.  The  question,  in  each  case, 
was  not  as  to  the  person  of  the  offerer ;  but  entirely 
as  to  the  character  of  his  offering.  Hence,  of  Ai^el  we 
read  that  "  Grod  testified  of  his  gifts.''''  He  did  not  bear 
witness  to  Abel,  but  to  Al^ePs  sacrifice ;  and  this  fixes 
distinctly  the  proj^er  ground  of  a  l^eliever's  peace  and 
acceptance  before  God. 

There  is  a  constant  tendency  in  the  heart  to  ground 
our  peace  and  acceptance  upon  something  in  or  aboufc 
ourselves,  even  though  we  admit  that  that  something 


T8  GE.KESIS, 

is  wrought  bj  the  Holy  Ghost,  Ile-nce  arises  the  cob- 
stant  looking  in,  when  the  Holj  Ghost  would  ever  have? 
us  looking  out.  The  qiiestion  for  every  believer  is  not^ 
"  what  am  I  ?"  bvit,  "  what  is  Christ  ?"  Having  come  to 
God  ''in  the  name  of  Jesus,"  be  is  wholly  identified  with 
him,  and  accepted  in  his  name,  and,  moreover,  can  no 
more  be  rejected  than  the  One  in  v/hose  name  he  has 
come.  Before  ever  a  €|uestion  can  be  raised  as  to  the 
feeblest  believer,  it  mu&t  be  raised  as  to  Christ  himself. 
But  this  latter  is  clearly  impossible,  and  thus  the 
security  of  the  believer  is  established  upon  a.  foundation 
which  nothing  can  possibly  move.  Being  in  himself  a 
poor  worthless  sinner,,  he  bas  come  in  the  name  of 
Christ,  he  is  identified  with  Cteist,  accepted  in  and  as- 
Christ,  bound  up  in  the  same  bundle  of  life  with  Christ. 
God  testifies,  not  of  him,  but  of  his  gift,  and  his  gift  is 
Christ.  All  this  is  most  tranquillizing  and  consolatory. 
It  is  our  happy  privilege  to  be  able,  in.  the  confidence 
of  faith,  to  refer  every  objeetioii  and  eveiy  objector  to 
Christ  and  his  finished  atonement.  All  our  fe'];3rings 
are  in  him.  In  him  we  boast  all  the  day  long-.  Our 
confidence  is  not  in  oiarselves,  but  in  him  who  hath 
wrought  every  thing  for  us.  We  hang  on  his  name^ 
trust  in  his  work,  gaze  on  his  person,,  and  wait  for 
his  coming. 

But  the  carnal  mind  at  once  displays  its  enmity 
against  all  this  truth  which  so  gladdens  and  satisfies 
the  heart  of  a  believer.  Thus  it  was  with  Cain.  '*  He 
was  very  wroth,  and  his  countenance  fell."  That  which 
filled  Abel  with  peace,  filled  Cain  with  wrath.  Cain, 
in  unbelief,  despised  the  only  way  in  which  a  sinner 
could  come  to  God.     He  refused  to  offer  blood,  without 


CHAPTERS  IV.,  Y.  t9 

which  there  can  be  no  remission  ;  and  then,  because  he 
was  not  received,  in  his  sins,  and  because  Abel  was 
accepted,  in  his  gift,  "he  was  wroth,  and  his  countenance 
fell."  And  yet,  how  else  could  it  be?  He  should 
either  be  received  with  his  sins,  or  without  them ;  but 
God  could  not  receive  him  with  them,  and  he  would 
not  bring  the  blood  which  alone  maketh  atonement ; 
and,  therefore,  he  was  rejected,  and,  being  rejected,  he 
manifests  in  his  ways  the  fruits  of  corrupt  religion. 
He  persecutes  and  murders  the  true  witness, — the 
accepted,  justified  man, — the  man  of  faith ;  and,  in  so 
doing,  he  stands  as  the  model  and  forerunner  of  all 
false  religionists  in  every  age.  At  all  times,  and  in  all 
places,  men  have  shown  themselves  more  ready  to 
persecute  on  religious  grounds  than  on  any  other.  This 
is  Cain-like.  Justification — full,  perfect,  unqualified 
justification,  by  faith  only,  makes  God  every  thing,  and 
man  nothing :  and  man  does  not  like  this  ;  it  causes  his 
countenance  to  fall,  and  draws  out  his  anger.  Not  that 
he  can  give  any  reason  for  his  anger ;  for  it  is  not,  as 
we  have  seen,  a  question  of  man  at  all,  but  only  of  the 
ground  on  which  he  appears  before  God.  Had  Abel 
been  accepted  on  the  ground  of  aught  in  himself,  then, 
indeed,  Cain's  wrath  and  his  fallen  countenance  would 
have  had  some  just  foundation  ;  but,  inasmuch  as  he 
was  accepted,  exclusively  on  the  ground  of  his  offering  ; 
and,  inasmuch  as  it  was  not  to  him,  but  to  his  gift,  that 
Jehovah  bore  testimony,  his  wrath  was  entirely  without 
any  proper  basis.  This  is  brought  out  in  Jehovah's 
word  to  Cain :  "  If  thou  doest  well,  (or,  as  the  LXX. 
reads  it,  if  thou  offer  correctly,  op^wj  TtpoasvsyxTjc,)  shall 
thou  not  be  accepted?"     The  well-doing  had  reference 


80  GENESIS. 

to  the  offering.  Abel  did  well  by  hiding  himself  behind 
an  acceptable  sacrifice.  Cain  did  badly  by  bringing  an 
ofifering  without  blood  ;  and  all  his  after-conduct  was  but 
the  legitimate  result  of  his  false  worship. 

"And  Cain  talked  with  Abel  his  brother:  and  it 
came  to  pass,  when  they  were  in  the  field,  that  Cain 
rose  up  against  Abel  his  brother,  and  slew  him."  Thus 
has  it  ever  been  ;  the  Cains  have  persecuted  and  mur- 
dered the  Abels.  At  all  times,  man  and  his  religion  are 
the  same ;  faith  and  its  religion  are  the  same  :  and 
wherever  they  have  met,  there  has  been  conflict. 

However,  it  is  well  to  see  that  Cain's  act  of  murder 
was  the  true  consequence — the  proper  fruit — of  his  false 
worship.  His  foundation  was  bad,  and  the  superstruc- 
ture .erected  thereon  was  also  bad.  Nor  did  he  stop  at 
the  act  of  murder ;  but  having  heard  the  judgment  of 
God  thereon,  despairing  of  forgiveness  through  igno- 
rance of  God,  he  went  forth  from  his  blessed  presence, 
and  built  a  city,  and  had  in  his  family  the  cultivators 
of  the  useful  and  ornamental  sciences, — agriculturists, 
musicians,  and  workers  in  metals.  Through  ignorance 
of  the  divine  character,  he  pronounced  his  sin  too  great 
to  be  pardoned.*  It  was  not  that  he  really  knew  his 
sin,  but  that  he  knew  not  God.  He  fully  exhibited  the 
terrible  fruit  of  the  fall  in  the  very  thought  of  God  to 
which  he  gave  utterance.  He  did  not  want  pardon, 
because  he  did  not  want  God.  He  had  no  true  sense 
of  his  own  condition  ;  no  aspirations  after  God  ;  no 
intelligence  as  to  the  ground  of  a  sinner's  approach  to 

-The   word   used  by  Cain   is   S{SW?\^   which   occurs   in    Psalm 

xxxii.  1,  "whose  transgression  is  /q>-(/i' ecu."  The  LXX.  renders  it 
Dy  <t?jS«vif./,  "  to  be  remitted." 


CHAPTERS   IV.,  V.  81 

God.  He  was  radically  corrupt, — fiuKlamentally  wrong ; 
and  all  he  wanted  was  to  get  out  of  the  presence  of 
God,  and  lose  himself  in  the  world  and  its  pursuits. 
He  thought  he  could  live  very  well  without  God,  and 
he  therefore  set  about  decorating  the  world  as  well  as 
he  could,  for  the  purpose  of  making  it  a  respectable 
place,  and  himself  a  respectable  man  therein,  though 
in  God's  vievv'  it  was  under  the  curse,  and  he  was  a 
fugitive  and  a  vagabond. 

Such  was  ''the  way  of  Cain,''''  in  which  way  millions 
are  at  this  moment  rushing  on.  Such  persons  are  not 
by  any  means  divested  of  the  religious  element  in  their 
character.  They  would  like  to  offer  something  to  God  ; 
to  do  something  for  him.  They  deem  it  right  to  pre- 
sent to  him  the  results  of  their  own  toil.  They  are 
ignorant  of  themselves,  ignorant  of  God  ;  but  with  all 
this  there  is  the  diligent  effort  to  improve  the  world ;  to 
make  life  agreeable  in  various  ways ;  to  deck  the  scene 
W'ith  the  fairest  colors.  God's  remedy  to  cleanse  is 
rejected,  and  man's  effort  to  wiprove  is  put  in  its  place. 
This  is  "the  way  of  Cain."     (Jude  11.) 

And,  my  reader,  you  have  only  to  look  around  you  to 
see  how  this  "way"  prevails  at  the  present  moment. 
Though  the  w^orld  is  stained  with  the  blood  of  "a 
greater  than"  Abel,  even  with  the  blood  of  Christ; 
yet  see  w^hat  an  agreeable  place  man  seeks  to  make  of 
it!  As  in  Cain's  day,  the  grateful  sounds  of  "  the  harp 
and  organ,"  no  doubt,  completely  droAvned,  to  man's 
ear,  the  cry  of  Abel's  blood ;  so  now,  man's  ear  is  filled 
with  other  sounds  than  those  which  issue  from  Calvary, 
and  his  eye  filled  with  other  objects  than  a  crucified 
Christ.     The    resources    of    his    genius,    too,    are    put 

P 


S2  GENESIS. 

forth  to  render  this  world  a  hot-house,  in  which  are 
produced,  in  their  rarest  form,  all  the  fruits  for  which 
nature  so  eagerly  longs.  And  not  merely  are  the  real 
wants  of  man,  as  a  creature,  supplied,  but  the  inventive 
genius  of  the  human  mind  has  been  set  to  work  for 
the  purpose  of  devising  things,  which,  the  moment  the 
eye  sees,  the  heart  desires,  and  not  only  desires,  but 
imagines  that  life  would  be  intolera1)le  without  them. 
Thus,  for  instance,  some  years  ago,  people  were  con- 
tent to  devote  three  or  four  da3^s  to  the  accomplishing 
of  a  journey  of  one  hundred  miles ;  but  now  they  can 
accomplish  it  in  three  or  four  hours ;  and  not  only  so, 
but  they  will  complain  sadly  if  the}^  happen  to  be  five 
or  ten  minutes  late.  In  fact,  man  must  be  saved  the 
trouble  of  living.  He  must  travel  without  fatigue, 
and  he  must  hear  news  without  having  to  exercise 
patience  for  it.  He  will  lay  iron  rails  across  the  earth, 
and  electric  wires  beneath  the  sea,  as  if  to  anticipate, 
in  his  own  way,  that  bright  and  blissful  age  when 
* 'there  shall  be  no  more  sea."* 

In  addition  to  all  this,  there  is  abundance  of  religion, 
so  called ;  but,  alas  !  charity  itself  is  compelled  to  har- 
bor the  apprehension,  that  very  much  of  what  passes 
for  religion  is  but  a  screw  in  the  vast  machine,  which 
has  been  constructed  for  man's  convenience,  and  man's 
exaltation,  Man  would  not  be  without  religion.  It 
would  not  be  respectable  ;  and,  therefore,  he  is  content 
to  devote  one-seventh  of  his  time  to  religion ;   or,  as  he 

*  True,  the  Lord  is  usin,^'  alNtliose  things  for  the  furtherance  of  his 
own  f^racious  eud.^;  and  (he  Lord's  servant  cnn  freely  use  them  nl>©; 
but  this  does  not  hinder  our  seeing  the  spirit  which  originates  and 
eharaccerizes  them. 


CHAPTERS   IV.,  V.  83 

thinks  and  professes,  to  his  eternal  interests  ;  and  then 
he  has  six-sevenths  to  devote  to  his  temporal  interests  ; 
but  whether  he  works  for  time  or  eternity,  it  is  for 
himiielf,  in  reality.  Such  is  ''the  way  of  Cain."  Let 
my  reader  ponder  it  well.  Let  him  see  where  this  way 
begins,  whither  it  tends,  and  where  it  terminates. 

How  different  the  way  of  the  man  of  faith  !  Abel 
felt  and  owned  the  curse  ;  he  saw  the  stain  of  sin,  and, 
in  the  holy  energy  of  faith,  offered  that  which  met  it, 
and  met  it  thoroughly, — met  it  divinely.  He  soug-ht 
and  found  a  refuge  in  God  himself;  and  instead  of 
building  a  city  on  the  earth,  he  found  but  a  grave  in 
its  bosom.  The  earth,  which  on  its  surface  displayed 
the  genius  and  energy  of  Cain  and  his  family,  was 
stained  underneath  with  the  blood  of  a  righteous  man. 
Let  the  man  of  the  world  remember  this  ;  let  the  man 
of  God  remember  it ;  let  the  worldly-minded  Christian 
remember  it.  The  earth  which  we  tread  upon  is  stained 
by  the  blood  of  the  Son  of  God.  The  very  blood  which 
justifies  the  Church  condemns  the  world.  The  dark 
shadow  of  the  cross  of  Jesus  may  be  seen  by  the  eye  of 
faith,  looming  over  all  the  glitter  and  glare  of  this 
evanescent  world.  "  The  fashion  of  this  world  passeth 
away."  It  will  soon  all  be  over,  so  far  as  the  present 
scene  is  concerned.  "  The  way  of  Cain "  will  be  fol- 
lowed by  "the  error  of  Balaam,"  in  its  consummated 
form;  and  then  will  come  "t^e  gainsaying  of  Core;" 
and  what  then?  "The  pit"  will  open  its  mouth  to 
receive  the  wicked,  and  close  it  again,  to  shut  them  up 
in  "blackness  of  darkness  forever."    (Jude  13.) 

In  full  confirmation  of  the  foregoing  lines,  we  may 
run  the  eye  over  the  contents  of  Chapter  Y.  and  find 


84  GENESIS. 

therein  the  humiliating  record  of  man's  weakness,  and 
subjection  to  the  rule  of  death.  He  might  live  for 
hundreds  of  years,  and  ''beget  sons  and  daughters;' 
but,  at  last,  it  must  be  recorded  that  ''he  died.''^ 
"Death  reigned  from  Adam  to  Moses."  And,  again, 
"  It  is  appointed  unto  men  once  to  die."  Man  cannot 
get  over  this.  He  cannot,  by  steam,  or  electricity,  or 
any  thing  else  within  the  range  of  his  genius,  disarm 
death  of  its  terrible  sting.  He  cannot,  by  his  energy, 
set  aside  the  sentence  of  death,  although  he  may  pro- 
duce the  comforts  and  luxuries  of  life. 

But  whence  came  this  strange  and  dreaded  thing, 
death  ?  St.  Paul  gives  us  the  answer :  "By  one  man 
sin  entered  into  the  world,  and  death  by  sin.''^  (Rom.  v. 
12.)  Here  we  have  the  origin  of  death.  It  came  by 
sin.  Sin  snapped  asunder  the  link  which  bound  the 
creature  to  the  living  God;  and,  that  being  done,  he 
was  handed  over  to  the  dominion  of  death,  which 
dominion  he  had  no  power  whatever  to  shake  off.  And 
this,  be  it  observed,  is  one  of  the  many  proofs  of  the 
fact  of  man's  total  inability  to  meet  God.  There  can 
be  no  fellowship  between  God  and  man,  save  in  the 
power  of  life ;  but  man  is  under  the  power  of  death ; 
hence,  on  natural  grounds,  there  can  be  no  fellowship. 
Life  can  have  no  fellowship  with  death,  no  more  than 
light  with  darkness,  or  holiness  with  sin.  Man  must 
meet  God  on  an  entirely  new  ground,  and  on  a  new 
principle,  even  faith ;  and  this  faith  enables  him  to 
recognize  his  own  position,  as  "sold  under  sin,"  and, 
therefore,  subject  to  death ;  while,  at  the  same  time,  it 
enables  him  to  apprehend  God's  character,  as  the  dis- 
penser of  a  new  life, — life  beyond  the  power  of  death, — • 


CHAPTERS   lY.,  V.  85 

a  life  which  can  never  be  touched  by  the  enemy,  nor 
forfeited  by  us. 

This  it  is  which  marks  the  security  of  the  believer's 
life.  Christ  is  his  life, — a  risen,  glorified  Christ, — a 
Christ  victorious  over  ever}^  thing  that  could  be  against 
us.  Adam's  life  was  founded  upon  his  own  obedience  ; 
and,  therefore,  when  he  disobeyed,  life  was  forfeited. 
But  Christ,  having  life  in  himself,  came  dowm  into  this 
world,  and  fully  met  all  the  circumstances  of  man's  sin, 
in  every  possible  form  ;  and,  by  submitting  to  death, 
destroyed  him  who  had  the  power  thereof,  and,  in  re- 
surrection, becomes  the  Life  and  Righteousness  of  all 
w^ho  believe  in  his  most  excellent  name. 

Now,  it  is  impossible  that  Satan  can  touch  this  life, 
either  in  its  source,  its  channel,  its  power,  its  sphere,  or 
its  duration.  God  is  its  source ;  a  risen  Christ,  its 
channel ;  the  Holy  Ghost,  its  power  ;  heaven,  its  sphere  ; 
and  eternity,  its  duration.  Hence,  therefore,  as  might 
be  expected,  to  one  possessing  this  wondrous  life,  the 
whok  scene  is  changed ;  and  while,  in  one  sense,  it  must 
be  said,  "  in  the  midst  of  life  we  are  in  death,"  yet,  in 
another  sense,  it  can  be  said,  "in  the  midst  of  death 
we  are  in  life."  There  is  no  death  in  the  sphere  into 
which  a  risen  Christ  introduces  his  people.  How 
could  there  be  ?  Has  not  he  abolished  it  ?  It  cannot 
be  an  abolished  and  an  existing  thing  at  the  same  time 
and  to  the  same  people ;  but  God's  word  tells  us  it  is 
abolished.  Christ  emptied  the  scene  of  death,  and  filled 
it  with  life ;  and,  therefore,  it  is  not  death,  but  glory 
that  lies  before  the  believer.  Death  is  behind  him, 
and  behind  him  forever.  As  to  the  future,  it  is  all 
glory, — cloudless  glory.  True,  it  may  be  his  lot  to  "  fall 
8 


86  GENESIS 

asleep," — to  ''sleep  in  Jesus," — but  that  is  not  death, 
but 'Mife  in  earnest."  The  mere  matter  of  departing 
to  be  with  Christ  cannot  alter  the  specific  hope  of  the 
believer,  which  is  to  meet  Christ  in  the  air,  to  be  with 
him,  and  like  him,  forever. 

Of  this  we  have  a  very  beautiful  exemplification  in 
Enoch,  who  forms  the  only  exception  to  the  rule  of 
Chap.  Y.  The  rule  is,  "  he  died  ;"  the  exception  is,  "  he 
should  not  see  death."  ''By  faith  Enoch  was  trans- 
lated that  he  should  not  see  death  ;  and  was  not  found, 
because  God  had  translated  him ;  for  before  his  trans- 
lation he  had  this  testimony,  that  he  pleased  God." 
(Heb.  xi.  5.)  Enoch  was  "the  seventh  from  Adam;" 
and  it  is  deeply  interesting  to  find,  that  death  was  not 
suftered  to  triumph  over  "the  seventh ;"  but  that,  in 
his  case,  God  interfered^,  and  made  him  a  trophy  of  his 
own  glorious  victory  over  all  the  power  of  death.  The 
heart  rejoices,  after  reading,  six  times,  the  sad  record, 
"he  died,"  to  find,  that  the  seventh  did  not  die;  and 
when  we  ask.  How  was  this  ?  the  answer  is,  "  by 
faith."  Enoch  lived  in  the  faith  of  his  translation, 
and  walked  with  God  three  hundred  years.  This  sepa- 
rated him,  practically,  from  all  around.  To  walk  with 
God  must,  necessarily,  put  one  outside  the  sphere  of 
this  world's  thoughts.  Enoch  realized  this  ;  for,  in  his 
day,  the  spirit  of  the  world  was  manifested ;  and  then, 
too,  as  now,  it  was  opposed  to  all  that  was  of  God. 
The  man  of  faith  felt  he  had  naught  to  do  with  the 
world,  save  to  be  a  patient  witness  therein  of  the  grace 
of  God  and  of  coming  judgment.  The  sons  of  Cain 
might  spend  their  energies  in  the  vain  attempt  to  im- 
prove a  cursed  world,  but  Enoch  found  a  better  world, 


CHAPTERS    ly.,  V.  87 

and  lived  in  the  power  of  it.*     His  faith  was  not  given 
him  to  improve  the  world,  but  to  walk  with  God. 

And  oh,  how  much  is  involved  in  these  three  words, 
"  walked  with  God  !"  What  separation  and  self-denial ! 
what  holiness  and  moral  purity  !  what  grace  and  gentle- 
ness !  what  humility  and  tenderness  !  and  yet,  what  zeal 
and  energy  !  What  patience  and  long-suffering  !  and 
yet  what  faithfulness  and  uncompromising  decision  I 
To  walk  with  God  comprehends  every  thing  within  the 
range  of  the  divine  life,  whether  active  or  passive.  It 
involves  the  knowledge  of  God's  character  as  he  has 
revealed  it.  It  involves,  too,  the  intelligence  of  the 
relationship  in  which  we  stand  to  him.  It  is  not  a 
mere  living  by  rules  and  regulations  ;  nor  laying  down 
plans  of  action  ;  nor  in  resolutions  to  go  hither  and 
thither,  to  do  this  or  that.  To  walk  with  God  is  far 
more  than  any  or  all  of  these  things.  Moreover,  it  will 
sometimes  carry  us  right  athwart  the  thoughts  of  men, 
and  even  of  our  brethren,  if  they  are  not  themselves 
walking  with  God.  It  may,  sometimes,"  bring  against 
us  the  charge  of  doing  too  much  :  at  other  times,  of- 
doing  too  little  ;  but  the  faith  that  enables  one  to  "walk 
with  God,"  enables  him  also  to  attach  the  proper  value 
to  the  thoughts  of  man. 

Thus  we  have,  in  Abel  and  Enoch,  most  valuable 
instruction  as  to  the  sacrifice  on  which  faith  rests  ;  and, 
as  tQ  the  prospect  which  hope  now  anticipates  ;  while, 
at  the  same  time,  "the  walk  with  God"  takes  in  all  the 
details  of  actual  life  which  lie  between  those  two  points. 
"The  Lord  will  give  grace  and  glory;"  and  between 

*  It  is  very  evident  that  Enoch  knew  nothing  whatever  about  the 
BQode  of  "making  the  hesf  ofborh  \vnrl<l<."  To  him  there  was;  uut  ouo 
■world.     Thus  it  should  bo  witii  us. 


S8  GENESIS. 

the  grace  that  has  been,  and  the  glory  that  is  to  be, 
revealed,  there  is  the  happy  assurance,  that  "  no  good 
thing  will  he  withhold  from  them  that  walk  uprightly." 
(Fsalni  Ixxxiv.  11.) 

It  has  been  remarked,  that  "  the  cross  and  the  coming 
of  the  Lord  form  the  termini  of  the  Church's  existence," 
and  these  termini  are  prefigured  in  the  sacrifice  of  Abel, 
and  the  translation  of  Enoch.  The  Church  knows  her 
entire  justification  through  the  death  and  resurrection 
of  Christ,  and  she  waits  for  the  day  when  he  shall 
come  and  receive  her  to  himself.  She,  "through  the 
Spirit,  waits  for  the  hope  of  righteousness  by  faith." 
(Gal.  V.  5.)  She  does  not  wait  for  righteousness,  inas- 
much as  she,  by  grace,  has  that  already ;  but  she  waits 
for  the  hope  which  properly  belongs  to  the  condition 
into  which  she  has  beeji  introduced. 

My  reader  should  seek  to  be  clear  as  to  this.  Some 
expositors  of  prophetic  truth,  from  not  seeing  the 
Church's  specific  place,  portion,  and  hope,  have  made 
■Bad  mistakes.  They  have,  in  effect,  cast  so  many  dark 
clouds  and  thick  mists  around  ''the  bright  and  morning 
star,"  which  is  the  proper  hope  of  the  Church,  that 
many  saints,  at  the  present  moment,  seem  unable  to 
rise  above  the  hope  of  the  God-fearing  remnant  of 
Israel,  which  is  to  see  "  the  Sun  of  righteousness  arise 
with  healing  in  his  wings."  (Mai.  iv.)  Nor  is  this  all. 
Yery  many  have  been  deprived  of  the  moral  power  of 
the  hope  of  Christ's  appearing,  by  being  taught  to  look 
for  various  events  and  circumstances  previous  to  the 
moment  of  his  manifestation  to  the  Church.  The  re- 
storation of  the  Jews,  the  development  of  Nebuchad- 
rezzar's imao-e,  the  revelation  of  the  man  of  sin, — ail 


CHAPTERS    lY.,  V.  89 

these  things,  it  is  maintained,  must  take  place  ere 
Christ  comes.  That  this  is  not  true,  might  be  proved 
from  numerous  passages  of  Xew-Testament  scripture, 
were  this  the  fitting  place  to  adduce  them. 

The  Church,  like  Enoch,  will  be  taken  away  from 
the  evil  around,  and  the  evil  to  come.  Enoch  was  not 
left  to  see  the  world's  evil  rise  to  a  head,  and  the 
judgment  of  God  poured  forth  upon  it.  He  saw  not 
"the  fountains  of  the  great  deep  broken  up,"  nor  "the 
windows  of  heaven  opened."  He  was  taken  away  be- 
fore any  of  these  things  occurred  ;  and  he  stands  before 
the  eye  of  faith  as  a  beautiful  figure  of  those,  "  who 
shall  not  all  sleep,  but  shall  all  "be  changed,  in  a  mo- 
ment, in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye."  (1  Cor.  xv.  51,  52.) 
Translation,  not  death,  was  the  hope  of  Enoch  ;  and, 
as  to  the  Church's  hope,  it  is  thus  briefly  expressed  by 
the  apostle,  "To  wait  for  the  Son  from  heaven.'" 
(1  Thess.  i.  10.)  This,  the  simplest  and  most  unlet- 
tered Christian  can  understand  and  enjoy.  It«  power, 
too,  he  can,  in  some  measure,  experience  and  manifest. 
He  may  not  be  able  to  study  prophecy  very  deeply,  but 
he  can,  blessed  be  God,  taste  the  blessedness,  the  reality, 
the  comfort,  the  power,  the  elevating  and  separating 
virtue  of  that  celestial  hope  which  properly  belongs  to 
him  as  a  member  of  that  heavenly  body,  the  Church  ; 
which  hope  is  not  merely  to  see  ''the  Sun  of  righteous- 
ness," how  blessed  soever  that  may  be  in  its  place,  but 
to  see  "the  bright  and  morning  star."  (Rev.  ii.  28.) 
And  as,  in  the  natural  world,  the  morning  star  is  seen, 
by  those  who  watch  for  it,  before  the  sun  rises,  so  Christ, 
as  the  morning  star,  will  be  seen  by  the  Church,  before 
the  remnant  of  Israel  can  behold  the  beams  of  the  Sun. 


CHAPTEKS   YI.— IX. 

We  have  now  arrived  at  a  deeply -important  and 
strongly  -  marked  division  of  our  book.  Enoch  has 
passed  off  the  scene.  His  walk,  as  a  stranger  on  earth, 
has  terminated  in  his  translation  to  heaven.  He  was 
taken  away  before  human  evil  had  risen  to  a  head,  and, 
therefore,  before  the  divine  judgment  had  been  poured 
out.  How  little  influence  his  course  and  translation 
had  upon  the  world  is  manifest  from  the  first  two 
verses  of  Chapter  YL.  ''And  it  came  to  pass,  when  men 
began  to  multiply  on  the  face  of  the  earth,  and  daugh- 
ters were  born  unto  them,  that  the  sons  of  God  saw 
the  daughters  of  men  that  they  were  fair;  and  they 
took  them  wives  of  all' which  they  chose." 

The  mingling  of  that  which  is  of  God  with  that 
which  is  of  man  is  a  special  form  of  evil,  and  a  very 
effectual  engine,  in  Satan's  hand,  for  marring  the  testi- 
mony of  Christ  on  the  earth.  This  mingling  may 
frequently  wear  the  appearance  of  something  very 
desirable  ;  it  may  often  look  like  a  wider  promulgation 
of  that  which  is  of  God, — a  fuller  and  a  more  vigorous 
outgoing  of  a  divine  influence, — a  something  to  be  rejoiced 
in  rather  than  to  be  deplored  :  but  our  judgment  as 
to  this  will  depend  entirely  upon  the  point  of  view  from 
which  we  contemplate  it.  If  we  look  at  it  in  the  light 
of  God's  presence,  we  cannot  possibly  imagine  that  an 
advantage  is  gained  when  the  people  of  God  mingle 
themselves  with  the  children  of  this  world ;  or  w^heu 
the  truth  of  God  is  corrupted  by  human  admixture. 
90 


CHAPTERS    YI.-IX.  91 

Such  is  not  the  divine  method  of  promulgating  truth, 
or  of  advancing  the  interests  of  those,  who  ought  to 
occupy  the  place  of  witnesses  for  him  on  the  earth. 
Separation  from  all  evil  is  God's  principle  ;  and  this 
principle  can  never  be  infringed  without  serious  damage 
to  the  truth. 

•  In  the  narrative  now  before  us,  we  see  that  the  union 
of  the  sons  of  God  with  the  daughters  of  men  led  to 
the  most  disastrous  consequences.  True,  the  fruit  of 
that  union  seemed  exceedingly  fair,  in  man's  judgment, 
as^we  read.  'Hhe  same  became  mighty  men,  which  were 
of  old,  men  of  renown  ;"  yet.  God's  judgment  was_quite 
different.  He  seeth  not  as  man  seeth.  His  thoughts 
are  not  as  ours.  "  God  saw  that  the  wickedness  of  man 
was  great  in  the  earth,  and  that  every  imagination  of 
f^  thoughts  of  his  heart  was  only  evil  conHnualTy." 
Such  was  man's  condition  before  God, — "  evil  only,^' — 
"evil  continually."  So  much  for  the  mingling  of  the 
holy  with  the  profane.  Thus  it  must  ever  be.  If  the 
holy  seed  will  not  maintain  its  purity,  all  must  be  for- 
feited, as  regards  testimony  on  the  earth.  Satan's  first 
effort  was  to  frustrate  God's  purpose,  by  putting  the 
holy  seed  to  death  ;  and  when  that  failed,  he  sought  to 
gain  his  end  by  corrupting  it. 

Now,  it  is  of  the  deepest  moment  that  my  reader 
should  clearly  understand  the  aim,  the  character,  and 
the  result  of  this  union  between  "the  sons  of  God"  and 
"the  daughters  of  men."  There  is  great  danger,  at 
the  present  day,  of  compromising  truth  for  the  sake 
of  union.  This  should  be  carefully  guarded  against. 
There  can  be  no  true  union  attained  at  the  expense  of 
truth.      The  true   Christian's  motto  should  ever  be — 


92  GENESIS. 

"  maintain  truth  at  all  cost ;  if  union  can  be  promoted 
in  this  way,  so  much  the  better ;  but  maintain  the 
truth."  The  principle  of  expediency,  on  the  contrary, 
may  be  thus  enunciated  : — "  Promote  union  at  all  cost ; 
if  truth  can  be  maintained  as  well,  so  much  the  better ; 
but  promote  union."  This  latter  principle  can  only  be 
carried  out  at  the  expense  of  all  that  is  divine  in  the 
way  of  testimony.*  There  can,  evidently,  be  no  true 
testimony  where  truth  is  forfeited  ;  and  hence,  in  the 
case  of  the  antediluvian  world,  we  see  that  the  unhal- 
lowed union  between  the  holy  and  the  profane — be- 
tween that  which  was  divine  and  that  which  was  hu- 
man— only  had  the  effect  of  bringing  the  evil  to  a  head, 
and  then  God's  judgment  was  poured  out. 

"  The  Lord  said,  I  willdestroyjmam "  Nothing  less 
would  do.  There  must  be  the  entire  destruction  of 
that  which  had  corrupted  God's  way  on  the  earth. 
"  The  mighty  men,  and  men  of  renown,"  must  all  be 
swept  away,  without  distinction.  ^' All  fle_sh  '^jnustjje 
set  aside,  as  utterly  unfit  for  God.  "  The  end  of  oil 
flesh  is  come  before  me."  It  was  not  merely  the  end 
of  some  flesh  ;  no,  it  was  all  corrupt,  in  the  sight  of 
Jehovah, — all  irrecoverably  bad.  It  had__been_  tried, 
and  found  wantmg_^nd  the  Lord  announces  bis  remedy 
to^NoaTin"  these  wordSj_^;^_Make  theean  ark  of_g(jpher 
woocTT^" 

Thus  was  Noah  put  in  possession  of  God's  thoughts 
about  the  scene  around  him.     The  effect  of  the  word  of 

*  We  should   ever  bear  in  mind,  that  "  the  wisdom  which  is  from 
^above  is  Jirst  pure,  then  peaceable."     (James  iii.  17.)     The  wisdom 
■which  is  from  beneath  would  put  ** peaceable"  first,  and,  therefore,  it 
can  never  be  pure. 


CHAPTER    YI.-IX.  9^ 

God  was  to  lay  bare  the  roots  of  all  that  which  man's 
eye  might  rest  upon  with  complacency  and  pride.  The 
human  heart  might  swell  with  pride,  and  the  bosom 
heave  with  emotion,  as  the  eye  ran  down  along  the 
brilliant  ranks  of  men  of  art,  men  of  skill,  "  men  of 
might,"  and  "men  of  renown."  The  sound  of  the  harp 
and  the  organ  might  send  a  thrill  through  the  whole 
soul,  while,  at  the  same  time,  the  ground  was  culti- 
vated, and  man's  necessities  were  provided  for  in  such 
a  way  as  to  contradict  every  thought  in  reference  to  ap- 
proaching judgment.  But,  oh  !  those  solemn  words,  "  1 
will  destroy  /"  What  a  heavy  gloom  they  would  neces- 
sarily cast  over  the  glittering  scene  !  Could  not  man's 
genius  invent  some  way  of  escape  ?  Could  not  "  the 
mighty  man  deliver  himself  by  his  much  strength  ?"  Alas, 
no  :  there  was  one  way  of  escape,  but  it  was  revealed  to 
faith,  not  to  sight, — not  to  reason, — not  to  imagination. 
"  By  faith  Noah,  being  warned  of  God,  of  things 
not  seen  as  yet,  moved  with  fear  (sv-Ka(57]9ni),  prepared 
an  ark  to  the  saving  of  his  house  ;  by  the  which  he  con- 
demned the  world,  and  became  heir  of  the  righteousness 
which  is  by  faith."  (Heb,  xi.  1.)  The  word  of  God 
brings  his  light  to  shine  upon  all  that  by  which  man's 
heart  is  deceived.  It  removes,  completely,  the  gilding 
with  which  the  serpent  covers  a  vain,  deceitful,  passing 
world,  over  which  hangs  the  sword  of  divine  judgment. 
But  it  is  only  "faith"  that  will  be  "warned  of  God," 
when  the  things  of  which  he  speaks  are  "not  seen  as 
yet."  Nature  is  governed  by  what  it  sees, — it  is  gov- 
erned by  its  senses.  Faith  is  governed  by  the  pure 
word  of  God  ;  (inestimable  treasure  in  this  dark  world!) 
this  gives  stability,  let  outward  appearances  be  what 


-94  '  GENESIS. 

they  may.  When  God  spoke  to  Noah  of  judgment 
impending,  there  was  no  sign  of  it.  It  was  "  not  seen 
as  yet ;"  but  the  word  of  God  made  it  a  present  reality 
to  the  heart  that  was  enabled  to  mix  that  word  with 
faith.  Faith  does  not  wait  to  see  a  thing,  ere  it  be- 
lieves, for  "faith  cometh  by  hearing,  and  hearing  by  the 
word  of  God." 
^^->  All  that  the  man  of  faith  needs,  is  to  know  that  God 
has  spoken  ;  this  imparts  perfect  certainty  to  his 
soul.  "XhJis_^ai^h_the_L£rd,''  settles  every  thing.  A 
single  line  of  sacred  scripture  is  an  abundant  answer  to 
all  the  reasonings  and  all  the  imaginations  of  the  human 
mind ;  and  when  one  has  the  word  of  God  as  the  basis 
of  his  convictions,  he  may  calmly  stand  against  the  full 
tide  of  human  opinion  and  prejudice.  Itj^s_thej^i).rd 
of  God  which  sustained  the  heart  of  yToah  during  his 
lon^  course~of  service  ;  and  the  same  word  has  sus- 
tained the  millionsofTxod's  saints  from  that  day  to  this, 
in  the  face  of  the  world's  contradiction.  Hence,  we 
cannot  set  too  high  a  value  upon  the  word  of  God. 
Without  it,  all  is  dark  and  uncertainty ;  with  it,  all  is 
light  and  peace.  Where  it  shines,  it  marks  out  for  the 
man  of  God  a  sure  and  blessed  path  ;  where  it  shines 
not,  one  is  left  to  wander  amid  the  bewildering  mazes  of 
human  tradition.  How  could  Noah  have  "preached 
righteousness"  for  120  years  if  he  had  not  had  the  word 
of  God  as  the  ground  of  his  preaching  ?  How  could  he 
have  withstood  the  scoffs  and  sneers  of  an  infidel 
world  ?  How  could  he  have  persevered  in  testifying  of 
"j-udgment  to  come,"  when  not  a  cloud  appeared  on 
the  world's  horizon  ?  Impossible.  The  word  of  God 
was  the  ground  on  wliich  he  stood,  and  "the  Spirit  of 


CHAPTERS    VI. -IX.  95 

Christ "  enabled  him  to  occupy,  with  holy  decision,  that 
elevated  and  immovable  ground. 

And  now,  my  beloved  Christian  reader,  what  else 
ave  we  wherewith  to  stand,  in  service  for  Christ,  in  an 
evil  day,  like  the  present  ?  Surely,  nothing  ;  nor  do 
we  want  aught  else.  The  word  of  God,  and  the  Holy 
Ghost,  by  whom  alone  that  word  can  be  understood, 
applied,  or  used,  are  all  we  want  to  equip  us  perfectly — 
to  furnish  us  thoroughly — ''to  all  good  works,"  under 
whatever  head  those  works  may  range  themselves. 
(2  Tim.  iii.  16,  It.)  What  rest  for  the  heart !  What 
relief  from  all  Satan's  imagery,  and  man's  imaginations  ! 
God's  pure,  incorruptible,  eternal  word  !  May  our 
hearts  adore  him  for  the  inestimable  treasure  !  "Every 
imagination  of  the  thoughts  of  man's  heart  was  only 
evil  continually;"  but  God's  word  was  the  simple  rest- 
ing-place of  Noah's  heart. 
4j('  God  said  unto  Noah,  The  end  of  all  flesh  is  come 

oetore  me Make  thee  an  ark  of  gopher  wood." 

Here  was  man's  ruin,  and  God's  remedy.  Man  had 
been  allowed  to  pursue  his  career  to  the  utmost  limit, 
to  bring  his  principles  and  ways  to  maturity.  The  leaven 
had  worked  and  filled  the  mass.  The  evil  had  reached 
its  climax.  "  All  flesh "  had  become  so  bad  that  it 
could  not  be  worse  ;  wherefore  nothing  remained  but  for 
God  to  destroy  it  totally  ;  and,  at  the  same,  time,  to  save 
all  those  who  should  be  found,  according  to  his  eternal 
counsels,  linked  with  ''the  eighth  person," — the  only 
righteous  man  then  existing.  This  brings  out  the  doc- 
trine of  the  cross  in  a  very  vivid  manner.  There  we 
find  at  once  God's  judgment  of  nature  with  all  its  evil ; 
and,  at  the   same  time,  the   revelation  of  his  saving 


98'  GENESIS. 

grace,  in  all  its  fulness,  and  in  all  its  perfect  adaptation 
to  those  who  have  really  reached  the  lowest  point  of 
their  moral  condition,  as  judged  by  himself.  *'  The 
Day-spring  from  on  high  hath  visited  us,"  (Luke  i.  78.) 
Where  ?  Just  where  ive  are,  as  sinners.  God  has  come 
down  to  the  very  deepest  depths  of  6ur  ruin.  There  is 
not  a  point  in  all  the  sinner's  state  to  which  the  light 
,of  that  blessed  Day-spring  has  not  penetrated ;  but,  if 
it  has  thus  penetrated,  it  must,  by  virtue  of  what  it  is, 
reveal  our  true  character.  The  light  must  judge  every 
thing  contrary  to  itself;  but,  while  it  does  so,  it  also 
"  gives  the  knowledge  of  salvation  through  the  remis- 
sion of  sins."  The  cross,  while  it  reveals  God's  judg- 
ment upon  "  all  flesh,"  reveals  his  salvation  for  the  lost 
and  guilty  sinner.  Sin  is  perfectly  judged, — the  sinner 
perfectly  saved, — God, perfectly  revealed,  and  perfectly 
glorified,  in  the  cross. 

If  my  reader  will  turn  for  a  moment  to  the  First 
Epistle  of  Peter,  he  will  find  much  light  thrown  upon 
this  entire  subject.  At  the  third  chapter,  verse  18, 
we  read,  "  for  Christ  also  hath  once  suffered  for  sins, 
the  just  for  the  unjust,  that  he  might  bring  us  to  God, 
being  put  to  death  in  the  flesh,  but  quickened  by  the 
Spirit :  by  which  (Spirit)  he  went  and  preached  (through 
Noah)  to  the  spirits  (now)  in  prison ;  which  once  were 
disobedient,  when  the  long-suffering  of  God  waited  in 
the  days  of  Noah,  while  the  ark  was  being  prepared, 
wherein  few,  that  is,  eight  souls,  were  saved  through 
water  (6i  v8atos)  ;  to  which  the  antitype  (avtnfvnov) 
baptism  doth  also  now  save  us,  not  the  putting  away 
of    the   filth   of    the    flesh,    (as   by   water,)*    but   the 

*  "  It   is   impossible    to   over-estimate   the  wisdom    of    the    Holy 


CHAPTERS   VI. -IX.  9T 

answer  of  a  good  conscience  towards  God,  by  the  resur- 
rection of  Jesus  Christ,  who,  having  gone  into  heaven, 
is  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  angels,  and  authorities, 
and  powers,  being  made  subject  to  him." 

This  is  a  most  important  passage.  It  sets  the  doctrine 
of  the  ark  and  its  connection  with  the  death  of  Christ  very 
distinctly  before  us.  As  in  the  Deluge,  so  in  the  death 
of  Christy  all  the  billows  and  waves  of  divine  judgment 

pnssnri    ovpr     that    \vhi<''h,    JT*   Jtself^_jwas  "withoiir~srn. 

TJ2P_pre«^i^Ti  WPS  hnnpri  1i£XLeath_jthe_flood  of  Jehovah's 

xightoouCi  wrath  ;    and the   Spirit  of   Christ_ "exclaims, 

"  xVll  thy  billow^s  and  thy  waves  have  gone  over  me." 
(Ps.  xlii.  T.)  Here  is  a  profound  truth  for  the^hTart 
and  conscience  of  a  believer,  "  All  God's  billows  and 
waves  "  passed  over  the  spotless  person  of  the  Lord 
Jesus,  when  he  hung  upon  the  cross  ;   and,  as  a  most 

Gtiost,  as  seen  in  the  way  in  which  he  treats  the  ordinance  of 
baptism,  in  the  above  remarkable  passage.  We  know  the  evil  use 
which  has  been  made  of  baptism;  we  know  the  false  place  it  has 
gotten  in  the  thoughts  of  many  j  we  know  how  that  the  efficacy, 
which  belongs  07ily  to  the  blood  of  Christ,  has  been  attributed  to 
the  water  of  baptism  ;  we  know  how  the  regenerating  grace  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  has  been  transferred  to*  water  baptism  ;  and,  with  the 
knowledge  of  all  this,  we  cannot  but  be  struck  with  the  way  in 
which  the  Spirit  of  God  guards  the  subject,  bV  stating,  that  it  is 
nut  the  mere  washing  away  of  the  filth  of  the  flesh,  as  by  water, 
'•■  but  the  answer  of  a  good  conscience  toward  God,"  which  "answer" 
wc  get,  not  by  baptism,  how  important  soever  it  may  be,  as  an 
ordinance  of  the  kingdom,  but  "by  the  resurrection  of  Jesus 
Christ,"  "who  was  delivered  for  our  olfonces,  and  raised  again  for 
our  justification." 

Baptism,  I  need  hardly  say,  as  an  ordinance  of  divine  institution, 
and  in  its  divinely-appointed  place,  is  most  important  and  deeply 
significant;  but  when  we  find  men,  in  one  way  or  another,  putting 
the  figure  in  place  of  the  substance,  wo  are  bound  to  expose  the  work 
of  Satan  by  the  light  of  the  word  of  God. 

9  G 


98  GENESIS. 

blessed  consequence,  not  one  of  them  remains  to  pass 
over  the  person  of  the  believer.  At  Calvary  we  see, 
in  good  truth,  "  the  fountains  of  the  great  deep  broken 
up,  and  the  windows  of  heaven  opened."  "Deep 
calleth  unto  deep  at  the  noise  of  thy  waterspouts.'' 
Christ  drank  the  cup,  and  endured  the  wrath  perfectly. 
He  put  himself,  judicially,  under  the  full  weight  of  all 
his  people's  liabilities,  and  gloriously  discharged  them. 
The  belief  of  this  gives  settled  peace  to  the  soul.  If 
the  Lord  Jesus  has  met  all  that  could  be  against  us, 
if  he  has  removed  out  of  the  way  every  hindrance,  if 
he  has  put  away  sin,  if  he  has  exhausted  the  cup  of 
wrath  and  judgment  on  our  behalf,  if  he  has  cleared 
the  prospect  of  every  cloud,  should  we  not  enjoy  settled 
peace  ?  ] Unquestionably.  Peace  is  our  unalienable 
|Sortion.  To  us  belonj^  the  deep  and  untold  blessedness 
and  holy  security  which  redeeming  love  can  bestow  on 
y  the  righteous  ground  of  Christ's  absolutely  accomplished 

work.       

Had  Noah  any  anxiety  about  the  billows  of  divine 
judgment?  None  whatever.  How  could  he  ?  He  knew 
that  "all"  had  been  poured  forth,  while  he  himself  was 
raised  by  those  very  outpoured  billows  into  a  region 
of  cloudless  peace.  He  floated  in  peace  on  that  very 
water  by  which  "  all  flesh  "  was  judged.  He  was  put 
beyond  the  reach  of  judgment ;  and  put  there,  too,  by 
God  himself.  He  might  have  said,  in  the  triumphant 
language  of  Romans  viii.,  "If  God  be  for  us,  who  can 
be  against  us?"  He  had  been  invited  in  by  Jehovah 
himself,  as  we  read  in  Chapter  vii.  1,  "  Come  thou 
and  all  thy  house  into  the  ark;'*  and  when  he  had 
taken  bis  place  there,  we  read,  "  the  Lord  shut  him  in.''- 


fi 


CHAPTERS    VI. -IX.  99 

Here,  assuredly,  was  full  and  perfect  security  for  all 
within.  Jehovah  kept  the  door,  and  no  one  could  go 
in  or  out  without  him.  There  was  both  a  window  and 
a  door  to  the  ark.  The  Lord  secured,  with  his  own 
omnipotent  hand,  the  door,  and  left  Noah  the  window, 
from  which  he  might  look  upward  to  the  place  from 
whence  all  the  judgment  had  emanated,  and  see  that  no 
judgment  remained  for  him.  The  saved  family  could 
only  look  upward,  because  the  window  w^as  "above." 
(Chap.  ^i.  16.)  They  could  not  see  the  waters  of 
judgment,  nor  the  death  and  desolation  which  those 
waters  had  caused.  God's  salvation — the  "  gopher 
wood,"  stood  between  them  and  all  these  things.  They 
had  only  to  gaze  upward  into  a  cloudless  heaven, — the 
eternal  dwelling-place  of  the  One  who  had  condemned 
the  world,  and  saved  them. 

Nothing  can  more  fully  express  the  believer's  perfect 
security  in  Christ  than  those  words,  "  the  Lord  shut 
him  in."  Who  could  open  what  God  had  shut  ?  None. 
The  family  of  Noah  w^ere  as  safe  as  God  could  make 
them.  There  was  no  power,  angelic,  human  or  dia- 
bolical, which  could  possibly  burst  open  the  door  of  the 
ark,  and  let  the  waters  in.  That  door  was  shut  by  the 
selfsame  hand  that  had  opened  the  windows  of  heaven, 
and  broken  up  the  fountains  of  the  great  deep.  Thus 
Christ  is  spoken  of  as  the  One  "  that  hath  the  key  of 
David,  he  that  openeth  and  no  man  shutteth,  and  shut- 
teth  and  no  man  openeth."  (Rev.  iii.  Y.)  He  also  holds 
in  his  hand  "the  keys  of  hell  and  of  death."  (Kev.  i.  18.) 
None  can  enter  the  portals  of  the  grave,  nor  go  forth  there- 
fri  m,  without  him.  He  has  "  all  power  in  heaven  and 
on  earth."     He  is  "head  over  all  things  to  the  Church, "' 


IflO  GENESIS. 

and  ill  liim  the  believer  is  perfectly  secure.  (Matt,  xxviii. 
18;  Eph.  i.  22.)  Who  could  touch  Noah?  What 
wave  could  penetrate  that  ark  which  was  "  pitched 
■within  and  without  with  pitch?"  Just  so  now,  who 
can  touch  those  who  have,  by  faith,  retreated  into  the 
shadow  of  the  cross  ?  Every  enemy  has  been  met  aud 
silenced, — yes,  silenced  for  ever.  The  death  of  Christ 
has  triumphantly  answered  every  demur ;  while,  at  the 
same  time,  his  resurrection  is  the  satisfactory  declara- 
tion of  God's  infinite  complacency  in  that  woi;!^  which 
is,  at  once,  the  basis  of  his  righteousness  in  receiving 
us,  and  of  our  confidence  in  drawing  nigh  unto  him. 

Hence,  therefore,  the  door  of  our  ark  being  secured, 
by  the  hand  of  God  himself,  nothing  remains  for  us 
but  to  enjoy  the  window ;  or,  in  other  words,  to  walk  in 
happy  and  holy  communion  with  him  who  has  saved  us 
from  coming  wrath,  and  made  us  heirs  and  expectants 
of  coming  g]ory.  Peter  speaks  of  those,  who  "are  blind, 
and  cannot  see  afar  off,  and  have  forgotten  that  they 
were  purged  from  their  old  sins."  (2  Peter  i.  9.)  This 
is  a  lamentable  condition  for  any  one  to  be  in,  and  it  is 
the  sure  result  of  not  cultivating  diligent,  prayerful 
communion  with  hjm  w^ho  has  eternally  shut  us  in 
in  Christ, 

Let  us,  now,  ere  we  proceed  further  *with  Xoah'S 
history,  glance  for  a  little  at  the  condition  of  those  to 
^vhom  he  had  so  long  preached  righteousness.  We  have 
been  looking  at  the  saved, — let  us  now  look  at  the  lost: 
we  have  been  thinking  of  those  icilliin  the  ark, — let  us 
now  think  of  those  wilhout.  No  doubt,  many  an 
anxious  look  would  be  cast  after  the  vessel  of  mercy,  as 
it  rose  with  the  water;  but,  alas  !  "  the  door  was  shut," 


CHAPTERS    yi.-TX.  101 

the  day  of  grace  was  over,  the  time  of  testimony 
closed,  aud  that  forever,  so  far  as  they  were  concerned. 
The  same  hand  which  had  shut  Xoah  in,  had  shut  them 
out ;  and  it  was  as  impossible  for  those  without  to  get 
in  as  it  was  for  those  within  to  get  out.  The  former 
were  irrecoverably  lost ;  the  latter,  effectually  saved. 
The  long-suffering  of  God,  and  the  testimony  of  his 
servant,  had  both  been  slighted.  Present  things  had 
engrossed  them.  "  They  did  eat,  they  drank,  they 
married  wives,  and  were  given  in  marriage,  until  the 
day  that  Xoah  entered  into  the  ark,  and  the  flood  came 
and  destroyed  them  all."  (Luke  xvii.  26,  2t.)  There 
was  nothing  wrong  in  any  of  these  things,  abstractedly 
looked  at.  The  wrong  was  not  in  the  things  done,  but 
in  the  doers  of  them.  Every  one  of  them  might  be 
done  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  and  to  the  glory  of  his 
holy  name,  were  they  only  done  in  faith.  But,  alas  ! 
they  were  not  so  done.  The  word  of  God  was  rejected. 
He  told  of  judgment ;  but  they  did  not  believe.  He 
spoke  of  sin  and  ruin ;  but  they  were  not  convinced. 
He  spoke  of  a  remedy  ;  but  they  would  not  give  heed. 
They  went  on  vnlh  their  own  plans  and  speculations, 
and  had  no  room  for  God.  They  acted  as  if  the  earth 
belonged  to  them,  by  a  lease,  forever.  They  forgot 
that  there  was  a  clause  of  surrender.  They  thought 
not  of  that  solemn  "until."  God  was  shut  out. 
"  Every  imagination  of  the  thoughts  of  their  heart  was 
only  evil  continually  ;"  and  hence,  they  could  do  nothing 
right.  They  thought,  spake,  and  acted  for  themselves. 
They  did  their  own  pleasure,  and  forgot  God. 

And,  my  reader,  remember  the  words  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  how  he  said,  "  as  it  was  in  the  days  of 


102  _  GENESIS. 

Koah,  so  shall  it  he  in  the  days  of  the  Son  of  man." 
Some  would  have  us  to  believe  that  ere  the  Son  of  man 
appears  in  the  clouds  of  heaven,  this  earth  shall  be 
covered,  from  pole  to  pole,  with  a  fair  mantle  of  right- 
eousness. They  would  teach  us  to  look  for  a  reign  of 
righteousness  and  peace,  as  the  result  of  agencies  now 
in  operation ;  but  the  brief  passage  just  quoted  cuts  up 
by  the  roots,  in  a  moment,  all  such  vain  and  delusive 
expectations.  How  was  it  in  the  days  of  Noah  ?  Did 
righteousness  cover  the  earth,  as  the  waters  cover  the 
sea  ?  Was  God's  truth  dominant  ?  Was  the  earth 
filled  with  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord  ?  Scripture  re- 
plies, "the  earth  was  filled  with  violence."  ''All  flesh 
had  corrupted  his  way  on  the  earth."  "  The  earth  also 
w^as  corrupt  before  God."  Well,  then,  "so  shall  it  be 
in  the  days  of  the  Son  of  man."  This  is  plain  enough. 
"  Kighteousness  "  and-^"  violence  "  are  not  very  like  each 
other.  Neither  is  there  any  similarity  between  univer- 
sal wickedness  and  universal  peace.  It  only  needs  a 
heart  subject  to  the  Word,  and  freed  from  the  influence 
of  preconceived  opinions,  in  order  to  understand  the 
true  character  of  the  days  immediately  preceding  "the 
coming  of  the  Son  of  man."  Let  not  my  reader  be  led 
astray.  Let  him  reverently  bow  to  Scripture.  Let 
him  look  at  the  condition  of  the  world,  "in  the  days 
before  the  flood  ;"  and  let  him  bear  in  mind,  that  "  as  " 
it  was  then,  "  so  "  shall  it  be  at  the  close  of  this  present 
period.  Th'c  is  most  simple, — most  conclusive.  There 
was  nothing  like  a  state  of  universal  righteousness  and 
peace  then,  neither  shall  there  be  any  thing  like  it  by- 
and-by. 
No  doubt,  man  displayed  abundant  energy  in  making 


CHAPTERS   VI. -IX.  103 

the  world  a  comfortable  and  an  agreeable  place  for  him- 
self; but  that  was  a  very  ditferent  thing  from  making 
it  a  suitable  place  for  God.  So  also  at  this  present 
time  ;  man  is  as  busy  as  he  can  be,  in  clearing  the 
stones  off  the  pathway  of  human  life,  and  making  it  as 
smooth  as  possible  ;  but  this  is  not  "  making  straight 
in  the  desert  a  highway  for  our  God  ;"  nor  is  it  making 
''the  rough  places  smooth,"  that  all  flesh  may  see  the 
salvation  of  Jehovah.  Civilization  prevails  ;  but  civi- 
lization is  not  righteousness.  The  sweeping  and  gar- 
nishing are  going  forward  ;  but  it  is  not  in  order  to  fit 
the  house  for  Christ,  but  for  Antichrist.  The  wisdom 
of  man  is  put  forth  in  order  to  cover,  with  the  folds  of 
his  own  drapery,  the  blots  and  blemishes  of  humanity ; 
but,  though  covered,  they  are  not  removed !  They  are 
underneath,  and  will,  ere  long,  break  out  in  more 
hideous  deformity  than  ever.  The  painting  of  ver- 
milion will  soon  be  obliterated,  and  the  carved  cedar 
wood  destroyed.  The  dams  by  which  man  sedulously 
seeks  to  stem  the  torrent  of  human  wretchedness,  must 
soon  give  way  before  the  overwhelming  force  thereof. 
All  the  efforts  to  confine  the  ph3^sical,  the  mental,  and 
the  moral  degradation  of  Adam's  posterity  within  those 
enclosures,  which  human  benevolence,  if  you  please,  has 
devised,  must,  in  the  sequel,  prove  abortive.  The  testi- 
mony has  gone  forth.  "  The  end  of  all  flesh  has  come 
before  me."  It  has  not  come  before  man;  but  it  has 
come  before  God  :  and,  albeit,  the  voice  of  the  scoffers 
may  be  heard,  saying,  "Where  is  the  promise  of  his 
coming  ?  for,  since  the  fathers  fell  asleep,  all  things  con- 
tinue as  they  were  from  the  beginning  of  creation  ;"  yet 
the  moment  is  rapidly  hastening  on  when  those  scoS'ers 


104  _  GENESIS. 

will  get  their  answer.  "  The  clay  of  the  Lord  will  come 
as  a  thief  in  the  night,  in  the  which  the  heavens  shall 
pass  away  with  a  great  noise,  and  the  elements  shall 
melt  with  fervent  heat,  the  earth  also,  and  the  works 
that  are  therein,  shall  be  burnt  up."  (2  Peter  iii.  4-10.) 
This,  my  reader,  is  the  answer  to  the  intellectual  scoffs 
of  the  children  of  this  world,  but  not  to  the  spiritual 
affections  and  expectations  of  the  children  of  God. 
These  latter,  thank  God,  have  a  totally  different  pros- 
pect, even  to  meet  the  Bridegroom  in  the  air,  before 
evil  shall  have  reached  its  culminating  point,  and,  there- 
fore, before  the  divine  judgment  shall  be  poured  forth 
thereon.  The  Church  of  God  looks  not  for  the  Vmrning 
up  of  the  world,  but  for  the  arising  of  "the  bright  and 
morning  Star." 

Now,  in  whatever  way  we  look  at  the  future,  from 
whatever  point  of  view  we  contemplate  it,  whether  the 
object,  which  presents  itself  to  the  soul's  vision  be  the 
Church  in  glory,  or  the  world  in  flames,  the  coming  of 
the  Bridegroom,  or  the  breaking  in  of  the  thief,  the 
morning  Star,  or  the  scorching  sun,  the  translation,  or 
the  deluge,  we  must  feel  the  unspeakable  importance  of 
attending  to  God's  present  testimony  in  grace,  to  lost 
sinners.  "  Now  is  the  accepted  time  ;  behold,  iiow  is  the 
day  of  salvation."  (2  Cor.  vi.  2.)  "God  was  in  Christ, 
reconciling  the  world  unto  himself,  not  imputing  their 
trespasses  unto  them."  (2  Cor.  v.  19.)  He  is  reconciling 
now,  he  will  be  judging  by-and-by  ;  it  is  all  grace  now  ; 
it  will  be  all  wrath  then ;  he  is  pardoning  sin  now, 
through  the  cross ;  he  will  punish  it  then,  in  hell,  and 
that  forever.  He  is  sending  out  a  message  of  purest, 
richest,  freest  grace.     He  is  telling  sinners  of  an  accom- 


CHAPTERS   \^.-IX.  105 

plished  redemption  through  the  precious  sacrifice  of 
Christ.  He  is  declaring  that  all  is  done.  He  is  wait- 
ing to  be  gracious.  "  The  long-suffering  of  our  Lord 
is  salvation."  ''The  Lord  is  not  slack  concerning  his 
promise,  as  some  men  count  slackness,  but  is  long- 
suffering  to  usward,  not  willing  that  any  should  perish, 
but  that  all  should  come  to  repentance."  (2  Peter  iii.) 
All  this  makes  the  present  moment  one  of  peculiar  so- 
lemnity. Unmingled  grace  declared  ! — unmingled  wrath 
impending  !     How  solemn  !     How  deeply  solemn  ! 

And,  then,  with  what  profound  interest  should  we 
mark  the  unfolding  of  the  divine  purposes !  Scripture 
sheds  its  light  upon  these  things ;  and  such  a  light,  too, 
that  we  need  not,  as  another  has  said,  "vacantly  stare 
on  passing  events,  as  those  who  know  not  where  they 
are,  and  whither  they  are  going."  We  should  accu- 
rately know  our  bearings.  We  should  fully  understand 
the  direct  tendency  of  all  the  principles  now  at  work. 
We  should  be  well  aware  of  the  vortex,  toward  which 
all  the  tributary  streams  are  rapidly  flowing  on.  Men 
dream  of  a  golden  age  ;  they  promise  themselves  a  mil- 
lennium of  the  arts  and  sciences ;  they  feed  upon  the 
thought,  that  ''to-morrow  shall  be  as  this  day,  and 
more  abundant."  But,  oh!  how  utterly  vain  are  all 
those  thoughts,  dreams,  and  promises.  Faith  can  see 
the  clouds  gathering  thickly  around  the  world's  horizon. 
Judgment  is  coming.  The  day  of  wrath  is  at  hand. 
The  door  will  soon  be  shut.  The  "strong  delusion" 
will  soon  set  in  with  terrible  intensity.  How  needful, 
then,  it  is  to  raise  a  warning  voice, — to  seek,  by  faithful 
testimony,  to  counteract  man's  pitiable  self-complacency. 
True,  in  so  doing,  we  shall  be  exposed  to  the  charge 


106  GENESIS. 

which  Ahab  brought  against  Micaiah,  of  always  pro- 
phesying evil :  but  no  matter  for  that  Let  us  pro- 
phesy what  the  word  of  God  prophesies,  and  let  us  do 
this  simply  for  the  purpose  of  "  persuading  men."  The 
word  of  God  only  removes  from  beneath  our  feet  a 
hollow  foundation,  for  the  purpose  of  placing  instead 
thereof  a  foundation  which  never  can  be  moved.  It 
only  takes  away  from  us  a  delusive  hope,  to  give  us, 
instead,  "  a  hope  which  maketh  not  ashamed."  It  takes 
away  "a  broken  reed,"  to  give  us  the  "  Rock  of  ages." 
It  sets  aside  ''  a  broken  cistern,  which  can  hold  no 
water,"  to  set  in  its  place  "the  Fountain  of  living 
waters."  This  is  true  love.  It  is  God's  love.  He  will 
not  cry  "peace,  peace,  when  there  is  no  peace;  nor 
"  daub  with  untempered  mortar."  He  would  have  the 
sinner's  heart  resting  sweetly  in  his  own  eternal  Ark 
of  safety,  enjoying  present  communion  with  himself, 
and  fondly  cherishing  the  hope,  that,  when  all  the  ruin, 
the  desolation,  and-  ttie  judgment  have  passed  away,  it 
shall  rest  with  him  in  a  restored  creation. 

We  shall  now  return  to  Noah,  and  contemplate  him 
in  a  new  position.  We  have  seen  him  building  the 
ark,  we  have  seen  him  in  the  ark,  and  we  shall  now 
view  him  going  forth  of  the  ark,  and  taking  his  place 
in  the  new  world.*     "And  God  remembered   Noah." 


*"  I  would  here  mention,  for  my  reader's  prayerful  consideration,  a 
thought  very  familiar  to  the  minds  of  those  who  have  specially  given 
themselves  to  the  study  of  what  is  called  "  dispensational  truih."  It 
has  reference  to  Enoch  and  Noah.  The  former  was  taken  away,  as  we 
have  seen,  before  the  judgment  came  ,•  Avhereas  the  latter  was  carried 
through  the  judgment.  Now,  it  is  thought  that  Enoch  is  a  figure  of 
the  Church,  who  shall  be  taken  away  before  humau  evil  reaches  its 


CHAPTERS   VI. -IX.  lOT 

The  strange  work  of  judgment  iDeing  over,  the  saved 
family,  and  all  in  association  with  them,  come  into 
remembrance.  "  God  made  a  wind  to  pass  over  the 
earth ;  and  the  waters  assuaged ;  the  fountains  also  of 
the  deep  and  the  windows  of  heaven  were  stopped,  and 
the  rain  from  heaven  was  restrained."  The  beams  of 
the  sun  now  begin  to  act  upon  a  world  that  had  been 
baptized  with  a  baptism  of  judgment.  Judgment  is 
God's  ''strange  work."  He  delights  not  in,  though  he 
is  glorified  by,  it.  Blessed  be  his  name,  he  is  ever 
ready  to  leave  the  place  of  judgment,  and  enter  that  of 
mercy,  because  he  delights  in  mercy. 

'•  And  it  came  to  pass,  at  the  end  of  forty  days,  that 
Noah  opened  the  window^  of  the  ark  which  he  had 
made  :  and  he  sent  forth  a  raven,  which  went  forth,  to 
and  fro,  until  the  waters  were  dried  up  from  off  the 
earth."  The  unclean  bird  made  its  escape,  and  found, 
no  doubt,  a  resting-place  upon  some  floating  carcase.  It 
sought  not  the  ark  again.  Not  so  the  dove.  "  She 
found  no  rest  for  the  sole  of  her  foot,  and  she  returned 

unto  him  into  the  ark and  again  he  sent  forth. 

the  dove  out  of  the  ark:  and  the  dove  came  in  to  him, 
in  the  evening ;  and,  lo,  in  her  mouth  was  an  olive-leaf, 
pluckt  off."  Sweet  emblem  of  the  renewed  mind,  which, 
amid  the   surrounding   desolation,  seeks  and  finds  its 


climax,  and  before  the  divine  judgment  falls  thereon.  Noah,  on  the 
other  hand,  is  a  figure  of  the  lemnant  of  Israel,  "who  shall  be  brought 
through  the  deep  waters  of  affliction,  and  through  the  fire  of  judgment, 
and  led  into  the  full  enjoyment  of  millennial  bliss,  in  virtue  of  God's 
everlasting  covenant.  I  may  add,  that  I  quite  receive  this  thought  in 
reference  to  those  two  Old-Testament  fathers.  I  consider  that  it  has 
the  full  support  of  the  general  scope  aad  analogy  of  Holy  Scripture. 


108  GENESrS. 

rest  and  portion  in  Christ ;  and  not  only  so,  but  also 
lays  hold  of  the  earnest  of  the  inheritance,  and  fur- 
nishes the  blessed  proof,  that  judgment  has  passed 
away,  and  that  a  renewed  earth  is  coming  fully  into 
view.  The  carnal  mind,  on  the  contrary,  can  rest  in 
any  thing  and  every  thing  but  Christ.  It  can  feed  upon 
all  uncleanness.  "The  olive-leaf"  has  no  attraction 
for  it.  It  can  find  all  it  needs  in  a  scene  of  death,  and 
hence  is  not  occupied  with  the  thought  of  a  new  world 
and  its  glories ;  but  the  heart  that  is  taught  and  exer- 
cised by  the  Spirit  of  God,  can  only  rest  and  rejoice  in 
that  in  which  he  rests  and  rejoices.  It  rests  in  the 
Ark  of  his  salvation  "until  the  times  of  the  restitu- 
tion of  all  things,"  May  it  be  thus  with  you  and  me, 
beloved  reader  !  May  J^sus  be  the  abiding  rest  and  por- 
tion of  our  hearts,  that  so  we  may  not  seek  them  in  a 
world  which  is  under  the  judg-ment  of  God  !  The  dove 
went  back  to  Noah,  and  waited  for  his  time  of  rest ; 
and  we  should  ever  find  our  place  with  Christ,  until  the 
time  of  his  exaltation,  and  glory,  in  the  ages  to  come. 
"He  that  shall  come,  will  come,  and  will  not  tarry." 
All  we  want,  as  to  this,  is  a  little  patience.  May  God 
direct  our  hearts  into  his  love,  and  into  "  the  patience  of 
Christ !" 

"And  God  spake  unto  Noah,  saying,  Go  forth  of 
the  ark."  The  same  God  that  had  said,  "Make  thee 
an  ark"  and  "  Come  thou  into  the  ark,"  now  says,  "  Go 
forth  of  the  ark."  "And  Noah  went  forth  ....  and 
builded  an  altar  unto  the  Lord."  All  is  simple  obedience. 
There  is  the  obedience  of  faith  and  the  worship  of  faith : 
both  go  together.  The  altar  is  ere-cted,  where,  just 
before,   all  had  been  a  scene  of  death  and  judgment. 


CHAPTERS   VI.-IX.  109 

Tlie  ark  had  borne  Xoah  and  his  family  safely  over  the 
waters  of  judgment.  It  had  carried  him  from  the  old 
into  the  new  world,  where  he  now  takes  his  place  as  a 
worshipper.*  And,  be  it  observed,  it  was  "unto  the 
Lord"  he  erected  his  altar.  Superstition  would  have 
worshipped  the  urk,  as  being  the  means  of  salvation. 
It  is  ever  the  tendency  of  the  heart  to  displace  God  by 

*  It  is  interesting  to  look  at  this  eutire  subject  of  the  ark  and 
deluge,  in  concection  with  that  most  important  and  deeply  signifi- 
cant ordinance  of  baptism.  A  truJy  baptized  person,  that  is,  one 
who,  as  the  apostle  says,  '^  obeys  from  the  heart  that  type  of  doc- 
trine to  which  he  is  delivered,"  is  one,  who  has  passed  from  the  old 
world  iato  the  new,  in  spirit  and  principle,  and  by  faith.  The 
water  rolls  over  his  person,  sigcifying  that  his  old  man  is  buried, 
that  his  place  in  nature  is  ignored,  that  his  old  nature  is  entirely 
eet  aside ;  ia  short,  that  he  is  a  dead  man.  When  he  is  plunged 
beneath  the  water,  expression  is  given  to  the  fact  that  his  name, 
place,  and  existence,  in  nature,  are  put  out  of  sight;  that  the  flesh, 
with  all  that  pertained  thereto,  its  sins,  its  iniquities,  it-s  liabilities, 
is  buried  in  the  grave  of  Christ,  and  never  can  come  into  God's 
sight  again. 

Again,  when  he  rises  up  out  of  the  water,  expression  is  given  to 
the  truth,  that  he  only  comes  up  as  the  possesssor  of  a  new  life, 
even  the  resurrection  life  of  Christ.  If  Christ  had  not  been  raised 
from  the  dead,  the  believer  could  not  come  up  out  of  the  water,  but 
should  remain  buried  beneath  its  surface,  as  the  simple  expression 
of  the  place  which  righteously  belongs  to  nature.  But,  inaemuch. 
as  Christ  rose  from  the  dead,  ia  the  power  of  a  new  life,  having  en- 
tirely put  away  our  sins,  we  also  come  up  out  of  the  water;  and, 
in  so  doing,  s^t  forth  the  fact,  that  we  are  put,  by  the  grace  of 
God,  and  through  the  death  of  Christ,  in  full  possession  of  a  new 
life,  to  which  divine  righteousness  inseparably  attaches.  "We  are 
buried  with  him  by  baptism  into  death  ;  that  like  as  Christ  was 
raised  up  from  the  dead  by  the  glory  of  the  Father,  even  so  wo 
also  should  walk  in  newness  of  life."  (See  Rom.  vi.  and  Col.  ii. 
passim.  Comp.  also  1  Peter  iii.  18-22.)  All  this  makes  the.  insti- 
tution of  baptism  one  of  immense  importance,  and  pregnant  with 
meaning. 
10 


110  GENESIS. 

his  ordinances.  Now,  the  ark  was  a  very  marked  and 
manifest  ordinance ;  but  Noah's  faith  passed  beyond  the 
ark  to  the  God  of  the  ark ;  and  hence,  when  he  stepped 
out  of  it,  instead  of  casting  back  a  lingering  look  at  it, 
or  regarding  it  as  an  object  of  worship  or  veneration,  he 
built  an  altar  unto  the  Lord,  and  worshipped  him  :  and 
the  ark  is  never  heard  of  again. 

This  teaches  us  a  very  simple,  but,  at  the  same  time, 
a  very  seasonable  lesson.  The  moment  the  heart  lets 
slip  the  reality  of  God  himself,  there  is  no  placing  a 
limit  to  its  declension ;  it  is  on  the  highway  to  the 
grossest  forms  of  idolatry.  In  the  judgment  of  faith, 
an  ordinance  is  only  valuable  as  it  conveys  God,  in 
living  power,  to  the  soul ;  that  is  to  say,  so  long  as  faith 
can  enjoy  Christ  therein,  according  to  his  own  appoint- 
ment. Beyond  this,  it  is  worth  just  nothing ;  and  if  it 
in  the  smallest  degree  comes  between  the  heart  and 
his  precious  work  and  his  glorious  person,  it  ceases  to 
be  an  ordinance  of  God,  and  becomes  an  instrument  of 
the  devil.  In  the  judgment  of  superstition,  the  ordi- 
nance is  every  thing,  and  God  is  shut  out ;  and  the 
name  of  God  is  only  made  use  of  to  exalt  the  ordinance, 
and  give  it  a  deep  hold  of  the  human  heart,  and  a 
mighty  influence  over  the  human  mind.  Thus  it  was 
that  the  children  of  Israel  worshipped  the  brazen  serpent. 
That,  which  had  once  been  a  channel  of  blessing  to 
them,  because  used  of  God,  became,  when  their  hearts 
had  departed  from  the  Lord,  an  object  of  superstitious 
v^eneration ;  and  Hezekiah  had  to  break  it  in  pieces, 
and  call  it  "a  piece  of  brass."  In  itself  it  was  only  a 
'' Nehushtan,"  but,  when  used  of  God,  it  was  a  means 
of  rich  blessing.     Now,  faith  owned  it  to  be  what  divine 


CHAPTERS   VI. -IX.  Ill 

revelation  said  it  was ;  but  superstition,  throwing,  as 
it  ever  does,  divine  revelation  overboard,  lost  the  real 
purpose  of  God  in  the  thing,  and  actually  made  a  god 
of  the  thing  itself.     (See  2  Kings  xviii.  4.) 

And,  m}^  reader,  is  there  not  a  deep  lesson  in  all  this 
for  the  present  age  ?  I  am  convinced  there  is.  We 
live  in  an  age  of  ordinances.  The  atmosphere  which 
enwraps  the  professing  church,  is  impregnated  with  the 
elements  of  a  traditionary  religion,  which  robs  the  soul 
of  Christ,  and  his  divinely  full  salvation.  It  is  not 
that  human  traditions  boldly  deny  that  there  is  such  a 
person  as  Christ,  or  such  a  thing  as  the  cross  of  Christ : 
were  they  to  do  so,  the  eyes  of  many  might  be  opened. 
However,  it  is  not  thus.  The  evil  is  of  a  far  more  in- 
sidious and  dangerous  character.  Ordinances  are  added 
to  Christ,  and  the  work  of  Christ.  The  sinner  is  not 
saved  by  Christ  alone,  but  by  Christ  and  ordinances. 
Thus  he  is  robbed  of  Christ  altogether;  for  it  will, 
assuredly,  be  found  that  Christ  and  ordinances  will 
prove,  in  the  sequel,  to  be  ordinances,  and  not  Christ. 
This  is  a  solemn  consideration  for  all  who  stand  up  for 
a  religion  of  ordinances.  "If  ye  be  circumcised  Christ 
shall  profit  you  nothing."  It  must  be  Christ  wholly, 
or  not  at  all.  The  devil  persuades  men,  that  they  are 
honoring  Christ  when  they  make  much  of  his  ordi- 
nances -,  whereas,  all  the  while  he  knows  full  well  that 
they  are,  in  reality,  setting  Christ  entirely  aside,  and 
deifying  the  ordinance.  I  would  only  repeat  here  a  re- 
mark which  I  have  made  elsewhere,  namely,  that  super- 
stition makes  every  Uiing  of  the  ordinance ;  infidelity, 
profanity,  and  mysticism,  make  nothing  of  it :  faith  uses 
it  according  to  divine  appointment. 


Hr2  GENESIS. 

But  I  have  already  extended  this  section  far  bejond 
the  limit  winch  I  had  prescribed  for  it.  I  shall,  therefore, 
close  it  with  a  hasty  glance  at  the  contents  of  Chapter 
ix.  In  it  we  have  the  new  covenant,  under  w^bich  crea- 
tion was  set,  after  the  Deluge,  together  with  the  token 
of  that  covenant.  "And  God  blessed  Noah  and  his 
sons,  and  said  unto  them,  Be  fruitful,  and  multiply,  and 
replenish  the  earth."  Observe,  God's  command  to  man, 
on  his  entrance  into  the  restored  earth,  was  to  refill 
that  earth ;  not  parts  of  the  earth,  but  the  earth.  He 
desired  to  have  men  dispersed  abroad,  over  the  face  of 
the  world,  and  not  relying  upon  their  own  concen- 
trated energies.  We  shall  see,  in  Chap,  xi.,  how  man 
neglected  all  this. 

The  fear  of  man  is  now  lodged  in  the  heart  of  every 
other  creature.  Henceforth  the  service,  rendered  by  the 
inferior  orders  of  creation  to  man,  must  be  the  con- 
strained result  of  "fear  and  dread.'*  In  life,  and  in 
death,  the  lower  animals  were  to  be  at  the  service  of 
man.  All  creation  is  delivered,  by  God's  everlasting 
covenant,  from  the  fear  of  a  second  deluge.  Judgment 
is  never  again  to  take  that  shape.  "  The  world  that 
then  was,  being  overflowed  with  wafer,  perished;  but 
the  heavens  and  the  earth,  which  are  now,  by  the  same 
word  are  kept  in  store,  reserved  unto  fire  ag^iinst  the 
day  of  judgment  and  perdition  of  ungodly  men.''  Tlie 
earth  was  once  purged  with  water ;  and  it  will  be  again 
purged  by  fire  ;  and  in  this  second  purgation  none  will 
escape,  save  those,  who  have  fled  for  refuge  to  him  who 
has  passed  through  the  deep  waters  of  death,  and  met 
the  fire  of  divine  judgment. 

"  And  God  said,  This  is  the  token  of  the  covenant 


CHAPTERS   VI. -TX.  113 

I  do  S€t  my  bow  in  the  cloud and  I  will 

remember  my  covenant"  The  whole  creation  rests,  as 
tt)  its  exemption  from  a  second  deluge,  on  the  eternal 
stability  of  God's  covenant,  of  which  the  bow  is  the 
token  ;  and  it  is  happy  to  bear  in  mind,  that  when  the 
bow  appears,  the  eye  of  God  rests  upon  it ;  and  man  is 
cast,  not  upon  his  o^vn  imperfect  and  most  uncertain 
memory,  but  upon  God's.  '*!,"  says  God,  "will  re- 
member." How  sweet  to  think  of  what  God  will,  and 
what  he  will  not,  remember !  He  will  remember  his 
own  covenant,  but  he  will  not  remember  his  people's 
sins.  The  cross,  which  ratifies  the  former,  puts  away 
the  latter.  The  belief  of  this  gives  peace  to  the  troubled 
heart  and  uneasy  conscience. 

"And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  when  I  bring  a  cloud 
over  the  earth,  that  the  hoio  shall  be  aeen  in  the  cloud.-'' 
Beautifal  and  most  expressive  emblem  !  The  beams  of 
the  sun,  reflected  from  that  which  threatens  judgment, 
tranquillize  the  heart,  as  telling  of  God's  covenant, 
God's  salvation,  and  God's  remembrance.  Precious, 
most  preeious  sunl>eams,  deriving  additional  beauty 
from  the  very  cloud  which  reflects  them  !  How  forcibly 
does  this  lx)w  in  the  cloud  remind  us  of  Calvary.  There 
we  s^e  a  cloud  indeed, — a  dark,  thick,  heavy  cloud  of 
judgment,  discharging  itself  upon  the  sacred  liead  of  the 
Lamb  of  God, — a  cloud  so  dark,  that  even  at  mid-day 
"there  was  darkness  over  all  the  earth."  But,  blessed 
be  God,  faith  discerns,  in  that  heaviest  cloud  that  ever 
gathered,  the  most  brilliant  and  beauteous  bow  that 
ever  appeared;  for  it  sees  the  bright  beams  of  God's 
eternal  love  darting  through  the  awful  gloom,  and  re- 
flected Iji  the  cloud.  It  hears,  too,  the  words,  '^  It  is 
H 


114  GENESIS. 

finished,"  issuing-  from  amid  the  darkness,  and  in  those 
words  it  recognizes  the  perfect  ratification  of  God^s 
everlasting  covenant,  not  only  with  creation,  bat  with 
the  tribes  of  Israel  and  the  Church  of  God. 

The  last  paragraph  of  this  chapter  presents  a  humil- 
iating spectacle.  The  lord  of  creation  fails  to  govern 
vhimself :  "And  Noah  began  to  be  an  hiisbandiaan,  and 
he  planted  a  vineyard ;  and  he  drank  of  the  wine,  and 
was  drunken  ;  and  he  was  uncovered  within  his  tent.  ^^ 
"What  a  condition  for  Noah,  the  only  righteous  man,  the 
l^reacher  of  righteousness,  to  be  found  in  I  Alas  !  what 
is  man  ?  Look  at  him  where  yon  will,  and  yon  see  only 
failure.  In  Eden,  he  fails;  in  the  restored  earth,  he 
fails ;  in  Canaan,  he  fails ;  in  the  Chnrch,  he  fails ;  in 
the  presence  of  millennial  bliss  and  glory,  he  fails.  He 
fails  everywhere,  and  in  all  things :  there  is  no  good 
thing  in  him.  Let  his  advantages  be  ever  so  gi^eat,  his 
privileges  ever  so  vast,  his  position  ever  so  desirable,  he 
can  only  exhibit  failiire  and  sin. 

We  must,  however,  look  at  Noah  in  two  ways> 
namely,  as  a  type,  and  as  a  man ;  and  while  the  type  is 
full  of  beanty  and  meaning,  the  man  is  fiLill  of  sin  and 
folly ;  yet  the  IIoly»  Ghost  has  written  these  words, 
"Noah  was  a  just  man,  and  perfect  in  his  generation; 
and  Noah  walked  with  God."  Divine  gi'ace  had  co- 
vered all  his  sins,  and  clothed  his  person  with  a  spot- 
less robe  of  righteousness.  Though  Noah  exposed  his 
nakedness,  God  did  not  see  it,  for  he  looked  not  at  him 
in  the  weakness  of  his  own  condition,  but  in  the  full 
power  of  divine  and  everlasting  rig^hteonsness.  Hence 
we  may  see  how  entirely  astray — how  totally  alienated 
from  God  and  his  thoughts — Ham  was  in  the  course  he 


CmVPTER  X.        •  115 

adopted  ;  lie  evidently  knew  nothing  of  the  blessedness 
of  the  man  whose  iniquity  is  forgiven  and  his  sin 
covered.  On  the  contrary,  Shem  and  Japheth  exhibit 
in  their  conduct  a  fine  specimen  of  the  divine  method 
of  dealing  with  human  nakedness ;  wherefore  they  in- 
herit a  blessing,  whereas  Ham  inherits  a  curse. 


CHAPTER   X 

This  section  of  our  book  records  the  generations  of 
Xoah's  three  sons,  noticing,  especially,  Ximrod,  the 
founder  of  the  kingdom  of  Babel,  or  Babylon,  a  name 
which  occupies  a  very  prominent  place  on  the  page  of 
inspiration.  Bxibylon  is  a  well-known  name, — a  well- 
known  influence..  From  the  tenth  chapter  of  Genesis, 
down  to  the  eighteenth  chapter  of  Revelation,  Babylon, 
again  and  again,  appears  before  us,  and  alwa3^s  as  some- 
thing decidedly  hostile  to  those  who  occupy,  for  the 
time  being,  the  position  of  public  testimony  for  God. 
Xot  that  we  are  to  look  upon  the  Bab3ion  of  Old 
Testament  scripture  as  identical  with  the  Babylon  of 
the  Apocalypse.  By  no  means.  I  believe  the  former 
is  a  city  ;  the  latter,  a  system ;  but  both  the  city  and 
the  system  exert  a  powerful  influence  against  God's 
people.  Hardly  had  Israel  entered  upon  the  wars  of 
Canaan,  when  "  a  Babylonish  garment "  brought  defile- 
ment and  sorrow,  defeat  and  confusion,  into  the  host. 
This  is  the  earliest  record  of  Babylon's  pernicious  in- 
fluence upon  the  people  of  God  ;  but  every  student  of 


11 G  *  GENESIS. 

Scripture  is  aware  of  the  place  which   Babj^lon  gets 
throughout  the  entire  historj^  of  Israel, 

This  would  not  be  the  place  to  notice  in  detail  the 
various  passages  in  which  this  city  is  introduced.  I 
would  onl}^  remark  here,  that  whenever  God  has  a  cor- 
porate witness  on  the  earth,  Satan  has  a  Babylon  to 
mar  and  corrupt  that  witness.  When  God  connects 
his  name  with  a  city  on  the  earth,  then  Babylon  takes 
the  form  of  a  city ;  and  when  God  connects  his  name 
with  the  Church,  then  Babylon  takes  the  form  of  a 
corrupt  religious  system,  called  'Hhe  great  whore,"  "the 
mother  of  abominations,"  &c.  In  a  v/ord,  Satan's  Baby- 
lon is  always  seen  as  the  instrument  moulded  and 
fashioned  by  his  hand,  for  the  purpose  of  counteracting 
the  divine  operations,  whether  in  Israel  of  old,  or  the 
Church  now.  Throughout  the  Old  Testament  Israel 
and  Babylon  are  seen,'  as  it  were,  in  opposite  scales ; 
w^hen  Israel  is  up,  Babylon  is  down  ;  arid  when  Babylon 
is  up,  Israel  is  down.  Thus,  when  Israel  had  utterly 
failed,  as  Jehovah's  witness,  "the  king  of  Babylon 
broke  his  bones,"  and  swallowed  him  up.  The  vessels 
of  the  house  of  God,  which  ought  to  have  remained  in 
the  city  of  Jerusalem,  were  carried  away  to  the  city  of 
Babylon.  But  Isaiah,  in  his  sublime  prophecy,  leads 
us  onward  to  the  opposite  of  all  this.  He  presents,  in 
most  magnificent  strains,  a  picture,  in  which  Israel's  star 
is  in  the  ascendant,  and  Babylon  entirely  sunk.  "And 
it  shall  come  to  pass  in  the  day  that  the  Lord  shall 
give  thee  rest  from  thy  sorrow,  and  from  thy  fear,  and 
from  the  hard  bondage  wherein  thou  wast  made  to 
serve,  that  thou  shalt  take  up  this  proverb  agaiiist  the 
king  of  Babylon,  and    say,   How  hath  the  op^^ressor 


CHAPTER    X.  in 

ceased !  the  golden  city  ceased  !  .  .  .  .  since  thou  art  laid 
down,  no  feller  is  come  up  against  us."   (Isa.  xiv.  3-8.) 

Thus  much  as  to  the  Babylon  of  the  Old  Testament. 
Then,  as  to  the  Babylon  of  Revelation,  my  reader  has 
only  to  turn  to  the  17th  and  18th  chapters  of  that 
book  to  see  her  character  and  end.  She  is  presented  in 
marked  contrast  with  the  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife  ;  and 
as  to  her  end,  she  is  cast  as  a  great  millstone  into  the 
sea ;  after  which  we  iiave  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb, 
with  all  its  accompanying  bliss  and  glory. 

However,  I  could  not  attempt  to  pursue  this  most 
interesting  subject  here  :  I  have  merely  glanced  at  it 
in  connection  with  the  name  of  Nimrod.  I  feel  assured 
that  my  reader  will  find  himself  amply  repaid  for  any 
trouble  he  may  take  in  the  close  examination  of  all 
those  scriptures  in  which  the  name  of  Babylon  is  in- 
troduced.    We  shall  now  return  to  our  chapter. 

''And  Cush  begat  Ximrod  :  he  began  to  be  a  mighty 
one  in  the  earth.  lie  was  a  mighty  hunter  before  the 
Lord  :  wherefore  it  is  said,  Even  as  Nimrod  the  mighty 
hunter  before  the  Lord.  And  the  beginning  of  his 
kingdom  was  Babel,  and  Erech,  and  Accad,  and  Calneh, 
in  the  land  of  Shin ar.''^  Here,  then,  we  have  the  char- 
acter of  the  founder  of  Babylon.  He  was  "  a  mighty 
one  in  the  earth'' — "  a  mighty  hunter  before  the  Lord." 
Such  was  the  origin  of  Babylon  ;  and  its  character, 
throughout  the  entire  book  of  God,  remarkably  cor- 
responds therewith.  It  is  always  seen  as  a  mighty 
influence  in  the  earth,  acting  in  positive  antagonism  to 
every  thing  which  owes  its  origin  to  heaven  ;  and  it  is 
not  until  this  Babylon  has  been  totally  abolished,  that 
the  cry  is  heard,  amid  the  hosts  above,  "Alleluia  ;  for 


11^  GENESIS. 

the  Lord  God  omnipotent  reigneth."  Then  all  Baby- 
lon's mighty  hunting  will  be  over  forever,  whether  it 
be  its  hunting  of  wild  beasts,  to  subdue  them ;  or  its 
hunting  of  souls,  to  destroy  them.  All  its  might,  and 
all  its  glory,  all  its  pomp  and  pride,  its  wealth  and 
luxury,  its  light  and  joy,  its  glitter  and  glare,  its  power- 
ful attractions  and  wide-spread  influence,  shall  have 
passed  away  forever.  She  shall  be  swept  with  the 
besom  of  destruction,  and  plunged  in  the  darkness,  the 
horror  and  desolation,  of  an  everlasting  night.  ''  How 
long,  0  Lord  ?" 


CHAPTER   XL 

This  is  a  chapter  of  very  deep  interest  to  the  spiritual 
mind.  It  records  two  great  facts,  namely,  the  building 
of  Babel,  and  the  call  of  Aln-aham  ;  or,  in  other  words, 
man's  effort  to  provide  for  himself,  and  God's  provision 
made  known  to  faith  ;  man's  attempt  to  establish  him- 
self in  the  earth,  and  God's  calling  a  man  out  of  it,  to 
find  his  portion  and  his  home  m  heaven. 

'*  And  the  whole  earth  was  of  one  language  and  of 
one  speech.  And  it  came  to  pass  as  they  journeyed 
from  the  east,  that  they  found  a  plain  in  the  land  of 

Shinar ;  and  they  dwelt  there And  they  said, 

Go  to,  let  us  build  us  a  city,  and  a  tower,  whose  top  may 
reach  unto  heaven  ;  and  let  us  make  us  a  name,  lest  we 
be  scattered  abroad  upon  the  face  of  the  whole  earth." 
The  human  heart  ever  seeks  a  name,  a  portion,  and  a 
centre  in  the  ea.rth.     It  knows  nothing  of  aspirations 


CHAPTER    XL  119 

after  heaven,  heaven's  God,  or  heaven's  glory.  Left  tc 
itself,  it  will  ever  find  its  objects  in  this  lower  world  ; 
it  will  ever  "  build  beneath  the  skies."  It  needs  God's 
call,  God's  revelation,  and  God's  power,  to  lift  the  heart 
of  man  above  this  present  world,  for  man  is  a  grovelling 
creature, — alienated  from  heaven,  and  allied  to  earth. 
In  the  scene  now  before  us,  there  is  no  acknowledgment 
of  God,  no  looking  up  to,  or  waiting  on,  him  ;  nor  was 
it  the  thought  of  the  human  heart  to  set  up  a  place 
in  which  God  might  dwell, — to  gather  materials  for  the 
'purpose  of  building  a  habitation  for  him, — alas!  no; 
his  name  is  never  once  mentioned.  To  make  a  name 
for  himself  was  man's  object  on  the  plain  of  Shinar  ; 
and  such  has  been  his  object  ever  since.  Whether  we 
contemplate  man  on  the  plain  of  Shinar,  or  on  the 
banks  of  the  Tiber,  we  find  him  to  be  the  same  self- 
seeking,*self-exalting,  God-excluding  creature,  through- 
out. There  is  a  melancholy  consistency  in  all  his  pur- 
poses, his  principles,  and  his  ways ;  he  ever  seeks  to 
shut  out  God  and  exalt  himself. 

Xow,  in  what  light  soever  we  view  this  Babel  con- 
federacy, it  is  most  instructive  to  see  in  it  the  early 
display  of  man's  genius  and  energies,  regardless  of 
God.  In  looking  down  along  the  stream  of  human 
history,  we  may  easily  perceive  a  marked  tendency  to 
confederacy,  or  association.  Man  seeks,  for  the  most 
part,  to  compass  his  great  ends  in  this  way.  Whether 
it  be  in  the  way  of  Philanthropy,  Religion,  or  Politics, 
nothing  can  be  done  without  an  association  of  men 
regularly  organized.  It  is  well  to  see  this  principle, — 
well  to  mark  its  incipient  working, — to  see  the  earliest 
model  which  the  page  of  inspiration  affords  of  a  human 


120  GENESIS. 

association,  as  exhibited  on  the  plain  of  Shinar,  in  its 
design,  its  object,  its  attempt,  its  overthrow.  If  we 
look  around  us  at  the  present  moment  we  see  the 
whole  scene  filled  with  associations.  To  name  them 
were  useless,  for  they  are  as  numerous  as  are  the  pur- 
poses of  the  human  heart.  But  it  is  important  to  mark 
that  the  first  of  all  these  was  the  Shinar  association, 
for  the  establishment  of  the  human  interests,  and  the 
exaltation  of  the  human  name, — objects  which  may  well 
be  set  in  competition  with  any  that  engage  the  attention 
of  this  enlightened  and  civilized  age.  But,  in  the 
judgment  of  faith,  there  is  one  grand  defect,  namely, 
God  is  shut  out ;  and  to  attempt  to  exalt  man,  without 
God,  is  to  exalt  him  to  a  dizzy  height  only  that  he 
may  be  dashed  down  into  hopeless  confusion  and  irre- 
trievable ruin.  The  Christian  should  only  know  one 
association,  and  that  is,  the  Church  of  the  living  God, 
incorporated  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  who  came  down  from 
heaven  as  the  witness  of  Christ's  glorification,  to  baptize 
believers  into  one  body,  and  constitute  them  God's 
dwelling-place.  Babylon  is  the  very  opposite  of  this, 
in  every  particular  ;  and  she  becomes  at  the  close,  as 
we  know,  "the  habitation  of  devils."  (See  Rev.  xviii.) 
"  And  the  Lord  said.  Behold,  the  people  is  one,  and 
they  have  all  one  language  ;  and  this  they  begin  to  do : 
and  now  nothing  will  be  restrained  from  them  which 
they  have  imagined  to  do.  Go  to,  let  us  go  down,  and 
there  confound  their  language,  that  they  may  not  un- 
derstand one  another's  speech.  So  the  Lord  scattered 
them  abroad  from  thence  upon  the  face  of  all  the  earth  ; 
and  they  left  off  to  build  the  city."  Such  was  the  end 
of  man's  first  association.     Thus  it  will  be  to  the  end. 


CHAPTER    XT.  121 

"Associate   yourselves,  0  ye  people,  and  ye  shall  be 

broken  in  pieces gird  yourselves,  and  ye  shall 

be  broken  in  pieces ;  gird  yourselves,  and  ye  shall  be 
broken  in  pieces."  (Isa.  viii.  9.)  How  different  it  is 
when  God  associates  men  !  In  the  second  chapter  of 
Acts,  we  see  the  blessed  One  coming  down  in  infinite 
grace  to  meet  man  in  the  very  circumstances  in  which 
his  sin  had  set  him.  The  Holy  Ghost  enabled  the 
messengers  of  grace  to  deliver  their  message  in  the  very 
tongue  wherein  each  was  born.  Precious  proof  this,  that 
God  desired  to  reach  man's  heart  with  the  sweet  story 
of  grace  !  The  law  from  the  fiery  mount  was  not  thus 
promulgated.  When  God  was  telling  what  man  ought 
to  be,  he  spoke  in  one  tongue  ;  but  when  he  was  telling 
what  he  himself  was,  he  spoke  in  many.  Grace  broke 
through  the  barrier  which  man's  pride  and  folly  had 
caused  to  be  erected,  in  order  that  every  man  might 
hear  and  understand  the  glad  tidings  of  salvation, — 
"the  wonderful  works  of  God."  And  to  what  end  Avas 
this  ?  Just  to  associate  men  on  God's  ground,  round 
God's  centre,  and  on  God's  principles.  It  was  to  give 
them,  in  reality,  one  language,  one  centre,  one  object, 
one  hope,  one  life.  It  was  to  gather  them  in  such  a 
way  as  that  they  never  should  be  scattered  or  con- 
founded again ;  to  give  them  a  name  and  a  place  which 
should  endure  forever ;  to  build  for  them  a  tower  and 
a  city  which  should  not  only  have  their  top  reaching  to 
heaven,  but  their  imperishable  foundation  laid  in  heaven, 
by  the  omnipotent  hand  of  God  himself.  It  was  to 
gather  them  around  the  glorious  person  of  a  risen  and 
highly  exalted  Christ,  and  unite  them  all  in  one  grand 
design  of  magnifying  and  adoring  him. 
11 


122  GENESIS. 

If  my  reader  will  turn  to  the  seventh  chapter  of 
Kevelation,  he  will  find  at  the  close  thereof,  ".All  na- 
tions, and  kindreds,  and  people,  and  tongues,"  standing 
round  the  Lamb ;  and,  with  one  voice,  ascribing  all 
praise  to  him.  Thus  the  three  scriptures  may  be  read 
in  most  interesting  and  profitable  connection.  In  Gen, 
xi.  God  gives  various  tongues  as  an  expression  of  his 
judgment ;  in  Acts  ii.  he  gives  various  tongues  as  an 
expression  of  grace ;  and  in  Rev.  vii.  we  see  all  those 
tongues  gathered  round  the  Lamb,  in  glory.  How  much 
better  it  is,  therefore,  to  find  our  place  in  God's  asso- 
ciation than  in  man's  !  The  former  ends  in  glory,  the 
latter  in  confusion ;  the  former  is  carried  forward  by 
the  energy  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  latter  by  the  un- 
hallowed energy  of  fallen  man  ;  the  former  has  for  its 
object  the  exaltation  of  Christ,  the  latter  has  for  its 
object  the  exaltation  of  man,  in  some  way  or  other. 

Finally,  I  would  say,  that  all  who  sincerely  desire  to 
know  the  true  character,  object,  and  issue  of  human  as- 
sociations, should  read  the  opening  verses  of  Genesis  xi. ; 
and,  on  the  other  hand,  all  who  desire  to  know  the  ex- 
cellenc}^,  the  beauty,  the  power,  the  enduring  character 
of  divine  association,  should  look  at  that  holy,  liviug, 
heavenly  corporation,  which  is  called,  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament, the  Church  of  the  living  God,  the  body  of 
Christ,  the  bride  of  the  Lamb. 

May  the  Lord  enable  us  to  look  at  and  apprehend  all 
these  things,  in  the  power  of  faith  ;  for  only  in  this  way 
can  they  profit  our  souls.  Points  of  truth,  however 
interesting ;  scriptural  knowledge,  however  profound 
and  extensive  ;  Biblical  criticism,  however  accurate  and 
valuable,  may  all  leave  the  heart  barren,  and  the  affec- 


CHAPTER    XII.  123 

tions  cold.  We  want  to  find  Christ  in  the  Word  ;  and. 
having  •  found  him,  to  feed  on  him  by  faith.  This 
would  impart  freshness,  unction,  power,  vitality,  energy, 
and  intensity,  all  of  which  we  deeply  stand  in  need  of, 
in  this  day  of  freezing  formalism.  What  is  the  value 
of  a  chilling  orthodoxy  without  a  living  Christ,  known 
in  all  his  powerful,  personal  attractions  ?  No  doubt, 
sound  doctrine  is  immensely  important.  Every  faithful 
servant  of  Christ  will  feel  himself  imperatively  called 
upon  to  "hold  fast  the  form  of  sound  words."  But, 
after  all,  a  living  Christ  is  the  very  soul  and  life,  the 
joints  and  marrow,  the  sinews  and  arteries,  the  essence 
and  substance  of  sound  doctrine.  May  we,  by  the  power 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  see  more  beauty  and  preciousness  in 
Christ,  and  thus  be  weaned  from  the  spirit  and  prin- 
ciples of  Babylon. 

We  shall,    Qod  willing,   consider   the   remainder  of 
Chapter  xi.  in  the  next  section. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

The  book  of  Genesis  is,  for  the  most  part,  taken  up 
with  the  history  of  seven  men,  namely,  Abel,  Enoch, 
Noah,  Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob,  and  Joseph.  There  is,  I 
doubt  not,  a  specific  line  of  truth  brought  out  in  con- 
nection with  each  of  those  men.  Thus,  for  example, 
in  Abel  we  have  the  great  foundation  truth  of  man's 
coming  to  God,  in  the  way  of  atonement, — atonement 
apprehended  by  faith.     In  Enoch,  we  have  the  proper 


124  GENESIS. 

portion  and  hope  of  the  heavenly  family  ;  while  Noah 
presents  to  us  the  destiny  of  the  earthly  family.  Enoch 
was  taken  to  heaven  before  the  judgment  came  ;  Noah 
was  carried  through  the  judgment  into  a  restored  earth. 
Thus,  in  each,  we  have  a  distinct  character  of  truth, 
and,  as  a  consequence,  a  distinct  phase  of  faith.  My 
reader  can  pursue  the  subject  fully,  in  connection  with 
the  eleventh  of  Hebrews  ;  and  I  feel  assured  he  will 
find  much  interest  and  profit,  in  so  doing.  We  shall 
now  proceed  with  our  immediate  theme,  namely,  the 
call  of  Abraham. 

By  comparing  Chapter  xii.  1,  Chapter  xi.  31,  with  Acts 
vii.  2-4,  we  learn  a  truth  of  immense  practical  value 
to  the  soul.  *'  The  Lord  had  said  unto  Abram,  Get  thee 
out  of  thy  country,  and/Vo772  thy  kindred,  and  from  thy 
father's  house,  unto  a  land  that  I  will  show  thee." 
(Chap.  xii.  1.)  Such  was  the  communication  made  to 
Abraham, — a  communication  of  the  most  definite  char- 
acter, designed  of  God  to  act  upon  Abraham's  heart 
and  conscience.  ''  The  God  of  glory  appeared  unto  our 
father  Abraham,  when  he  was  in  Mesopotamia,  before 
he  dwelt  in  Charran,  and  said  unto  him.  Get  thee  out  of 
thy  country,  and  from  thy  kindred,  and  come  into  a  land 
that  I  will  show  thee.  Then  went  he  forth  out  of  the 
land  of  the  Chaldeans,  and  dwelt  in  Charran,  (or 
Ilaran ;)  and  from  thence,  when  his  father  was  dead,  he 
removed  him  into  this  land  wherein  ye  now  dwell." 
(Acts  vii.  2-4.)  The  result  of  this  communication  is 
given  in  Chapter  xi.  31 :  "  And  Terah  took  Abram  his 
son,  and  Lot  the  son  of  Ilaran,  his  son's  son,  and  Sarai 
his  daughter-in-law,  his  son  Abram's  wife ;  and  they 
went  forth  with  them  from  Ur  of  the  Chaldees,  to  go 


CHAPTER   XII.  125 

into  the  land  of  Canaan :  and  they  came  unto  Haran, 
and  dwelt  there and  Terah  died  in  Haran." 

From  all  these  passages  taken  together,  we  learn  that 
the  ties  of  nature  hindered  the  full  response  of  Abra- 
ham's soul  to  the  call  of  God.  Though  called  to 
Canaan,  he,  nevertheless,  tarried  at  Haran,  till  nature's 
tie  was  snapped  by  death,  and  then,  with  unimpeded 
step,  he  made  his  way  to  the  place  to  which  "the  God 
of  glory "  had  called  him.  This  is  full  of  meaning. 
The  influences  of  nature  are  ever  hostile  to  the  full 
realization  and  practical  power  of  "the  calling  of  God." 
We  are  sadly  prone  to  take  lower"  ground  than  that 
which  the  divine  call  would  set  before  us.  It  needs 
great  simplicity  and  integrity  of  faith  to  enable  the 
soul  to  rise  to  the  height  of  God's  thoughts,  and  to 
make  our  own  of  that  which  he  reveals. 

The  apostle's  prayer  (Eph.  i.  15-22)  demonstrates 
how  fully  he,  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  entered  into  the 
difficulty  with  which  the  Church  would  ever  have  to 
contend,  in  seeking  to  apprehend  "  the  hope  of  God^s 
calling,  and  the  riches  of  the  glory  of  his  inheritance  in 
the  saints ;"  because,  evidently,  if  we  fail  to  apprehend 
the  calling,  we  cannot  "walk  worthy"  thereof.  I  must 
know  where  I  am  called  to  go,  before  I  can  go  thither. 
Had  Abraham's  soul  been  fully  under  the  power  of  the 
truth  that  "  God's  calling "  was  to  Canaan,  and  that 
there,  too,  lay  "his  inheritance,"  he  could  not  have 
remained  in  Charran.  And  so  with  us.  If  we  are  led 
by  the  Holy  Ghost  into  the  understanding  of  the  truth, 
that  we  are  called  with  a  heavenly  calling ;  that  our 
home,  our  portion,  our  hope,  our  inheritance,  are  all 
above,  "  where  Christ  sittcth  at  God's  right  hand,"  we 


126  GENESIS. 

could  never  be  satisfied  to  maintain  a  standing,  seek  a 
name,  or  lay  up  an  inheritance,  on  the  earth.  The  two 
things  are  incompatible  :  this  is  the  true  way  to  look 
at  the  matter.  The  heavenly  calling  is  not  an  empty 
dogma,  a  powerless  theory,  nor  a  crude  speculation.  It 
is  either  a  divine  reality,  or  it  is  absolutely  nothing. 
Was  Abraham's  call  to  Canaan  a  speculation  ?  Was  it 
a  mere  theory  about  which  he  might  talk  or  argue, 
while,  at  the  same  time,  he  continued  in  Charran  ? 
Assuredly  not.  It  was  a  truth,  a  divine  truth,  a  power- 
fully practical  truth.  He  was  called  to  Canaan,  and 
God  could  not  possibly  sanction  his  stopping  short 
thereof.  Thus  it  was  with  Abraham,  and  thus  it  is 
with  us.  If  we  would  enjoy  the  divine  sanction  and 
the  divine  presence,  we  must  be  seeking  b}^  faith  to  act 
upon  the  divine  call.  That  is  to  say,  we  must  seek  to 
reach,  m  experience,  in  practice,  and  moral  character, 
the  point  to  which  God  has  called  us,  and  that  point  is 
full  fellowship  with  his  own  Son, — fellowship  with  him 
in  his  rejection  below,  fellowship  with  him  in  his 
acceptance  above. 

But,  as  in  Abraham's  case,  it  was  death  that  broke 
the  link  by  which  nature  bound  him  to  Charran ;  so,  in 
our  case,  it  is  death  which  breaks  the  link  by  which 
nature  ties  us  down  to  this  present  world.  We  must 
realize  the  truth  that  we  have  died  in  Christ,  our  Head 
and  Representative, — that  our  place  in  nature  and  in 
the  world  is  amongst  the  things  that  were, — that  the 
cross  of  Christ  is  to  us  what  the  Red  Sea  was  to 
Israel,  namely,  that  which  separates  us  forever  from 
the  land  of  death  and  judgment.  Thus  only  shall  we  be 
able  to  walk,  in  any  measure,,  "  worthy  of  the  calling 


CHAPTER   XII.  121 

wherewith  we  are  called," — our  high,  our  holy,  our 
heavenly  calling, — our  "calling  of  God  in  Christ 
Jesus." 

And  here  I  would  dwell  for  a  little  on  the  cross  of 
Christ  in  its  two  grand,  fundamental  phases,  or  in  other 
words,  the  cross  as  the  basis  of  our  worship  and  our 
discipleship,  our  peace  and  our  testimony,  our  relation 
with  God,  and  our  relation  with  the  world.  If  as  a 
convicted  sinner  I  look  at  the  cross  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  I  behold  in  it  the  everlasting  foundation  of  my 
peace.  I  see  my  "  sin"  put  away,  as  to  the  root  or  prin- 
ciple thereof,  and  I  see  my  "  sins"  borne.  I  see  God  to 
be,  in  very  deed,  ''for  me,"  and  that,  moreover,  in  the 
very  condition  in  which  my  convicted  conscience  tells 
me  I  am.  The  cross  unfolds  God  as  the  smner^s  Friend. 
It  reveals  him  in  that  most  wondrous  character  as  the 
righteous  Justifier  of  the  most  ungodly  sinner.  Crea- 
tion never  could  do  this.  Providence  never  could  do 
this.  Therein  I  may  see  God's  power,  his  majesty,  and 
his  wisdom:  but  what  if  all  these  things  should  be 
ranged  against  me  ?  Looked  at  in  themselves  ab- 
stractedly, they  would  be  so,  for  I  am  a  sinner;  and 
power,  majesty,  and  wisdom,  could  not  put  away  my 
sin,  nor  justify  God  in  receiving  me. 

The  introduction  of  the  cross,  however,  changes  the 
aspect  of  things  entirely.  There  I  find  God  dealing 
with  sin  in  such  a  manner  as  to  glorify  himself  infi- 
nitely. There  I  see  the  magnificent  display  and  perfect 
harmony  of  all  the  divine  attributes.  I  see  love,  and 
such  love  as  captivates  and  assures  my  heart,  and 
weans  it,  in  proportion  as  I  realize  it,  from  every  other 
object.     I  see  wisdom,  and  such  wisdom  as  baffles  devils 


128  GENESIS 

and  astonishes  angels.  I  see  power,  and  such  power  as 
bears  down  all  opposition.  I  see  holiness,  and  such 
holiness  as  repulses  sin  to  the  very  farthest  point  of  the 
moral  universe,  and  gives  the  most  intense  expression 
of  God's  abhorrence  thereof,  that  could  possibly  be 
given.  I  see  grace,  and  such  grace  as  sets  the  sinner 
in  the  very  presence  of  God, — yea,  puts  him  into  his 
bosom.  Where  could  I  see  all  these  things  but  in  the 
cross  ?  Nowhere  else.  Look  where  you  please,  and 
you  cannot  find  aught  that  so  blessedly  combines  those 
two  great  points,  namely,  "  glory  to  God  in  the  highest," 
and  "  on  earth  peace." 

How  precious,  therefore,  is  the  cross,  in  this  its  first 
phase,  as  the  basis  of  the  sinner's  peace,  the  basis  of  his 
worship,  and  the  basis  of  his  eternal  relationship  with 
the  God  who  is  there  so  blessedly  and  so  gloriously  re- 
vealed !  How  precious' to  God,  as  furnishing  him  with 
a  righteous  ground  on  which  to  go  in  the  full  display  of 
all  his  matchless  perfections,  and  in  his  most  gracious 
dealings  with  the  sinner  !  So  precious  .is  it  to  God  that, 
as  a  recent  writer  has  well  remarked,  "  All  that  he  has 
said,— all  that  he  has  done,  from  the  very  beginning, 
indicates  that  it  was  ever  uppermost  in  his  heart.  And 
no  wonder  !  His  dear  and  well-beloved  Son  was  to 
hang  there,  between  heaven  and  earth,  the  object  of  all 
the  shame  and  suffering  that  men  and  devils  could  heap 
upon  him,  because  he  loved  to  do  his  Father's  will, 
and  redeem  the  children  of  his  grace.  It  will  be  the 
grand  centre  of  attraction,  as  the  fullest  expression  of 
his  love,  throughout  eternity." 

Then,  as  the  basis  of  our  practical  discipleship  and 
testimony,  the  cross  demands  our  most  profound  con- 


CHAPTER    XTI.  129 

sideration.  In  this  aspect  of  it,  I  need  hardly  say,  it 
is  as  perfect  as  in  the  former.  The  same  cross  which 
connects  me  with  God  has  separated  me  from  the  world. 
A  dead  man  is  evidently  done  with  the  world  ;  and 
hence  the  believer,  having  died  in  Christ,  is  done  with 
the  world ;  and,  having  risen  with  Christ,  is  connected 
with  God,  in  the  power  of  a  new  life,  a  new  nature. 
Being  thus  inseparably  linked  with  Christ,  he  of  neces- 
sity participates  in  his  acceptance  with  God,  and  in 
his  rejection  by  the  world.  The  two  things  go  to- 
gether. The  former  makes  him  a  worshipper  and  a 
citizen  in  heaven,  the  latter  makes  him  a  witness  and  a 
stranger  on  earth.  That  brings  him  inside  the  veil ; 
this  puts  him  outside  the  camp.  The  one  is  as  perfect 
as  the  other.  If  the  cross  has  come  between  me  and 
my  sins,  it  has  just  as  really  come  between  me  and  the 
world.  In  the  former  case,  it  puts  me  into  the  place  of 
peace  with  God ;  in  the  latter,  it  puts  me  into  the  place 
of  hostility  with  the  world,  that  is,  in  a  moral  point  of 
view ;  though  in  another  sense  it  makes  me  the  patient, 
humble  witness  of  that  precious,  unfathomable,  eternal 
grace  which  is  set  forth  in  the  cross. 

Kow,  the  believer  should  clearly  understand,  and 
rightly  distinguish  between,  both  the  alx)ve  phases  of 
the  cross  of  Christ.  He  should  not  profess  to  enjoy  the 
one,  while  he  refuses  to  enter  into  the  other.  If  his 
ear  is  open  to  hear  Christ's  voice  within  the  veil,  it 
should  be  open  also  to  hear  his  voice  outside  the  camp. 
If  he  enters  into  the  atonement  which  the  cross  has 
accomplished,  he  should  also  realize  the  rejection  which 
it  necessarily  involves.  The  former  flows  out  of  the 
part  which  God  had  in  the  cross ;  the  latter  out  of  the 

I 


130  GENESIS. 

part  whicli  man  bad  tLorein.  It  is  our  happy  priviloffe, 
not  only  to  be  done  with  ouV  sins,  but  to  be  done  with 
the  world  also.  All  this  is  involved  in  the  doctrine  of 
the  cross.  Well,  therefore,  might  the  apostle  say, 
''  Grod  forbid  that  I  vshould  glory  save  in  the  cross  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  which  the  world  is  crucified 
unto  me,  and  I  unto  the  world."  Paul  looked  upon  the 
v/orld  as  a  thing  which  ought  to  be  nailed  to  the  cross  ; 
and  the  world,  in  having  crucified  Christ,  had  crucified 
all  who  belonged  to  him.  Hence  there  is  a  double 
crucifixion,  as  regards  the  believer  and  the  world ;  and 
were  this  fully  entered  into,  it  would  prove  the  utter 
impossibility  of  ever  amalgamating  the  two.  ■  Beloved 
reader,  let  us  deeply,  honestly,  and  prayerfully  ponder 
these  things ;  and  may  the  Holy  Ghost  give  us  the 
ability  to  enter  into  the/ull  practical  power  of  both  the 
phases  of  the  cross  of  Christ. 

We  shall  now  return  to  our  theme. 

We  are  not  told  how  long  Abraham  tarried  at 
Haran  ;  yet  God  graciously  waited  on  his  servant  until, 
freed  from  nature's  clog,  he  could  fully  obey  his  com- 
mand. There  was,  however,  no  accommodation  of  that 
command  to  the  circumstances  of'  nature.  This  would 
never  do.  God  loves  his  servants  too  well  to  deprive 
them  of  the  full  blessedness  of  entire  obedience.  There 
was  no  fresh  revelation  to  Abraham's  soul  during  the 
time  of  his  sojourn  in  Haran.  It  is  well  to  see  this. 
We  must  act  up  to  the  light  already  communicated,  and 
then  God  will  give  us  more.  "  To  him  that  hath  shall 
more  be  given."  This  is  God's  principle.  Still  we  must 
remember  that  God  will  never  drag  us  along  the  path 
of  true-hearted  discipleship.     This  would  greatly  lack 


CHAPTER    XII.  131 

the  moral  excellency  which  characterizes  all  the  ways 
of  God.  He  does  not  drag  but  draw  us  along  the 
path  which  leads  to  ineffable  blessedness  in  himself; 
and  if  we  do  not  see  that  it  is  for  our  real  advantage 
to  break  through  all  the  barriers  of  nature,  in  order  to 
respond  to  God's  call,  we  forsake  our  own  mercies.  But 
alas !  our  hearts  li'^tle  enter  into  this.  We  begin  to 
calculate  about  the  sacrifices,  the  hindrances,  and  the 
difficulties,  instead  of  bounding  along  the  path,  in 
eagerness  of  soul,  as  knowing  and  loving  the  One  whose 
call  has  sounded  in  our  ears. 

I'here  is  much  true  blessing  to  the  soul  in  every  step 
of  obedience,  for  obedience  is  the  fruit  of  faith  ;  and 
faith  puts  us  into  living  association  and  communion 
with  God  himself.  Looking  at  obedience  in  this  light, 
we  can  easily  see  how  distinctly  it  is  marked  off,  in 
every  feature  of  it  from  legality.  This  latter  sets  a 
man  with  the  entire  burden  of  his  sins  on  him  to  serve 
God  by  keeping  the  law;  hence  the  soul  is  kept  in 
constant  torture,  and  so  far  from  running  in  the  path  of 
obedience,  it  has  not  even  taken  the  very  first  step. 
True  obedience,  on  the  contrary,  is  simply  the  mani- 
festation or  outflow  of  a  new  nature  communicated  in 
grace.  To  this  new  nature  God  graciously  imparts 
precepts  for  its  guidance;  and  it  is  perfectly  certain 
that  the  divine  nature  guided  by  the  divine  precepts 
can  never  by  any  possibility  resolve  itself  into  legality. 
What  constitutes  legality  is  the  old  nature  taking  up 
God's  precepts  and  essaying  to  carry  them  out.  To 
attempt  to  regulate  man's  fallen  nature  by  God's  pure 
and  holy  law,  is  as  useless  and  absurd  as  any  thing  can 
be.     How  could  fallen  nature  breathe  an  atmosphere  so 


132  GENESIS. 

pure  ?  Impossible.  Both  the  atmosphere  and  the  na- 
ture must  be  divine. 

But  not  only  does  the  blessed  God  impart  a  divine 
nature  to  the  believer,  and  guide  that  nature  by  his 
heavenly  precepts,  he  also  sets  before  it  suited  hopes 
and  expectations.  Thus,  in  Abraham's  case,  "  The 
God  of  glory  ii^pi)(iQ,Ye.d  unto  him."  And  for  what  pur- 
pose ?  To  set  before  his  soul's  vision  an  attractive 
object, — '*a  land  that  /will  show  thee."  This  was  not 
compulsion  but  attraction.  God's  land  was  in  the 
judgment  of  the  new  nature, — the  judgment  of  faith, 
far  better  than  Ur  or  Charran  :  and  albeit  he  had  not 
i^een  the  land,  yet,  inasmuch  as  it  was  God's  land,  faith 
judged  it  to  be  worth  having,  and  not  only  worth 
having,  but  also  fully  worth  the  surrender  of  present 
things.  Hence  we  read,  ''by  faith  Abraham,  when  he 
was  called  to  go  out  into  a  place  which  he  should  after 
receive  as  an  inheritance  obeyed,  and  he  went  out, 
not  knowing  whither  he  went."  That  is  to  say,  "he 
walked  by  faith,  not  by  sight."  Though  he  had  not 
seen  with  his  eyes,  he  believed  with  his  heart,  and  faith 
became  the  great  moving  spring  in  his  soul.  Faith 
rests  on  a  far  more  solid  ground  than  the  evidence  of 
our  senses,  and  that  is  the  word  of  God.  Our  senses 
may  deceive  us,  but  God's  word  never  can. 

Now,  the  entire  truth  of  the  divine  nature,  together 
with  the  precepts  which  guide  and  the  hopes  which 
animate  it,  the  whole  of  the  divine  doctrine  respecting 
these  things  is  completely  thrown  overboard  by  the 
system  of  legalism.  The  legalist  teaches  that  we  must 
surrender  earth  in  order  to  get  heaven.  But  how  can 
fallen    nature    surrender    that  to  which   it  is   allied? 


CHAPTER  xn.  133 

How  can  it  be  attracted  by  that  in  which  it  sees  no 
charms  ?  Heaven  has  no  charms  for  nature  ;  yea,  it  is 
the  very  last  place  it  would  like  to  be  found  in.  Nature 
has  no  taste  for  heaven,  its  occupations,  or  its  occu- 
pants. Were  it  possible  for  nature  to  find  itself  there, 
it  would  be  miserable.  Thus,  then,  nature  has  no  ability 
to  surrender  earth,  and  no  desire  to  get  heaven.  True, 
it  would  be  glad  to  escape  hell  and  its  ineffable  torment, 
gloom,  and  misery.  But  the  desire  to  escape  hell,  and 
the  desire  to  get  heaven,  spring  from  two  very  different 
sources.  The  former  may  exist  in  the  old  nature  ;  the 
latter  can  only  be  found  in  the  new.  Were  there  no 
"lake  of  fire,"  and  no  "w^orm"  in  hell,  nature  would 
not  so  shrink  from  it.  The  same  principle  holds  good 
in  reference  to  all  of  nature's  pursuits  and  desires. 
The  legalist  teaches  that  we  must  give  up  sin  before  we 
can  get  righteousness.  But  nature  cannot  give  up  sin ; 
and  as  to  righteousness,  it  absolutely  hates  it.  True,  it 
would  like  a  certain  amount  of  religion ;  but  it  is  only 
with  the  idea  that  religion  will  preserve  it  from  hell 
fire.  It  does  not  love  religion  because  of  its  introduc- 
ing the  soul  to  the  present  enjoyment  of  God  and  his 
ways. 

How  different  from  all  this  miserable  system  of 
legalism,  in  every  phase  thereof,  is  "  the  gospel  of  the 
glory  of  the  blessed  God  !"  This  gospel  reveals  God 
himself  coming  down  in  perfect  grace,  and  putting 
away  sin  by  the  sacrifice  of  the  cross  ;  putting  it  away, 
in  the  most  absolute  manner,  on  the  ground  of  eternal 
righteousness,  inasmuch  as  Christ  suffered  for  it,  having 
been  made  sin  for  us.  And  not  only  is  God  seen  put- 
ting away  sin,  but  also  imparting  a  new  life,  even  the 


i'-il  GENESIS. 

risen  life  of  his  own  risen,  exalted,  and  glorified  Son, 
which  life  every  true  believer  possesses,  in  virtue  of 
being  linked,  in  God's  eternal  counsels,  with  him  who 
was  nailed  to  the  cross,  but  is  now  on  the  throne  of  the 
Majesty  in  the  heavens.  This  nature,  as  we  have 
remarked,  he  graciously  guides  by  the  precepts  of  his 
holy  word,  applied  in  power  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  He 
also  animates  it  by  the  presentation  of  indestructible 
hopes.  He  reveals,  in  the  distance,  "the  hope  of  glory" 
— "  a  city  which  hath  foundations" — "  a  better  country, 
that  is  an  heavenly" — the  "many  mansions"  of  the 
Father's  house,  on  high — "  golden  harps" — "  green 
palms,"  and  "  white  robes" — "a  kingdom  which  cannot 
be  moved" — everlasting  association  with  himself,  in 
those  regions  of  bliss  and  light,  where  sorrow  and 
darkness  can  never  enter — the  unspeakable  privilege  of 
being  led,  throughout  the  countless  ages  of  eternity, 
"beside  the  still  waters,  and  through  the  green  pastures" 
of  redeeming  love.  How  different  is  all  this  from  the 
■legalist's  notion  !  Instead  of  calling  upon  me  to  educate 
and  manage,  by  the  dogmas  of  systematic  religion,  an 
irremediably  corrupt  nature,  in  order  that  thereby  I 
may  surrender  an  earth  that  I  love,  and  attain  to  a 
heaven  which  I  hate,  he,  in  infinite  grace,  and  on  the 
ground  of  Christ's  accomplished  sacrifice,  bestows  upon 
me  a  nature  which  can  enjoy  heaven,  and  a  heaven  for 
that  nature  to  enjoy  ;  and,  not  only  a  heaven,  but  him- 
self the  unfailing  spring  of  all  heaven's  joy. 

Such  is  God's  most  excellent  way.  Thus  he  dealt 
with  Abraham.  Thus  he  dealt  with  Saul  of  Tarsus. 
Thus  he  deals  with  us.  The  God  of  glory  showed 
Abraham  a  better  country  than  Ur  or  Charran      He 


CHAPTER   XII.  135 

showed  Saul  of  Tarsus  a  glory  so-  bright,  that  it  closed 
his  eyes  to  all  earth's  brightest  glories,  and  caused  him 
to  count  them  all  "  but  dung,''  that  he  might  win  that 
blessed  One  who  had  appeared  to  him,  and  whose  voice 
had  spoken  to  his  inmost  soul.  He  saw  a  heavenly 
Christ  in  glory;  and,  throughout  the  remainder  of  his 
course,  notwithstanding  the  weakness  of  the  earthen 
vessel,  that  heavenly  Christ  and  that  heavenly  glory 
engrossed  his  whole  soul. 

"  And  Abram  passed  through  the  land  ■  unto  the 
place  of  Sichem,  unto  the  plain  of  Moreh.  And  the 
Canaanite  was  then  in  the  land."  The  presence  of  the 
Canaanite  in  God's  land  would,  necessarily,  prove  a  trial 
to  Abraham.  It  would  be  a  demand  upon  his  faith  and 
hope,  an  exercise  of  heart,  a  trial  of  patience.  He  had 
left  Ur  and  Charran  behind,  and  come  into  the  country 
of  which  "the  God  of  glory"  had  spoken  to  him,  and 
there  he  finds  "the  Canaanite."  But  there,  too,  he 
finds  the  Lord.  "And  the  Lord  appeared  unto  Abram, 
and  said.  Unto  thy  seed  will  I  give  this  land."  The 
connection  between  the  two  statements  is  beautiful  and 
touching.  "  The  Canaanite  was  then  in  the  land,"  and 
lest  Abraham's  eye  should  rest  upon  the  Canaanite,  the 
present  possessor  of  the  land,  Jehovah  appears  to  him 
as  the  One  who  was  going  to  give  the  land  to  him  and 
to  his  seed  forever.  Thus  Abraham  was  taken  up 
with  the  Lord,  and  not  with  the  Canaanite.  This  is 
full  of  instruction  for  us.  The  Canaanite  in  the  land 
is  the  expression  of  the  power  of  Satan ;  but,  instead 
of  being  occupied  with  Satan's  power  to  keep  us  out  of 
the  inheritance,  we  are  called  to  apprehend  Christ's 
power  to  bring  us  in.     "  We  wrestle,  not  with  flesh  and 


136  GENESIS. 

blood, but   with   spiritual   wickedness   in   the 

heavenlies."  The  very  sphere  into  which  we  are  called  is 
the  sphere  of  our  conflict.  Should  this  terrify  us  ?  By 
no  means.  AVe  have  Christ  there, — a  victorious  Christ, 
in  whom  we  are  "more  than  conquerors."  Hence, 
instead  of  indulging  "  a  spirit  of  fear,"  we  cultivate  a 
spirit  of  worship.  "And  there  builded  he  an  allar  unto 
the  Lord,  who  appeared  unto  him."  "And  he  removed 
from  thence  unto  a  mountain  on  the  east  of  Bethel,  and 
pitched  his  tent.''^  The  altar  and  the  tent  give  us  the 
two  great  features  of  Abraham's  character.  A  worship- 
per of  God,  a  stranger  in  the  world, — most  blessed  cha- 
Tactcristics  !  Having  nothing  on  earth, — having  our  all 
hi  God.  Abraham  had  "  not  so  much  as  to  set  his  foot 
upon;"  but  he  had  God  to  enjoy,  and  that  was  enough. 
However,  faith  has  its  trials,  as  well  as  its  answers. 
It  is  not  to  be  imagined  that  the  man  of  faith,  having 
pushed  out  from  the  shore  of  circumstances,  finds  it  all 
smooth  and  easy  sailing.  By  no  means.  Again  and 
again  he  is  called  to  encounter  rough  seas  and  stormy 
skies  ;  but  it  is  all  graciously  designed  to  lead  him  into 
deeper  and  more  matured  experience  of  what  God  is  to 
the  heart  that  confides  in  him.  Were  the  sky  always 
without  a  cloud  and  the  ocean  without  a  ripple,  the 
believer  would  not  know  so  well  the  God  with  whom 
he  has  to  do  ;  for,  alas  !  we  know  how  prone  the  heart 
is  to  mistake  the  peace  of  circumstances  for  the  peace 
of  God.  When  every  thing  is  going  on  smoothly  and 
pleasantly,  our  property  safe,  our  business  prosperous, 
our  children  and  servants  carrying  themselves  agreeably, 
our  residence  comfortable,  our  health  excellent,  every 
thing,  in  short,  just  to  our  mind,  how  apt  we  are  to 


CHAPTER   XII.  137 

mistake  the  peace  which  reposes  upon  such  circum- 
stances for  that  peace  which  flows  from  the  realized 
presence  of  Christ.  The  Lord  knows  this ;  and,  there- 
fore, he  comes  in,  in  one  wa}^  or  another,  and  stirs  up 
tlie  nest,  that  is,  if  we  are  found  nestling  in  circum- 
stances, instead  of  in  himself. 

But,  again,  we  are  frequently  led  to  judge  of  the 
rightness  of  a  path  by  its  exemption  from  trial,  and 
vice  versa.  This  is  a  great  mistake.  The  path  of 
obedience  may  often  be  found  most  trying  to  flesh  and 
blood.  Thus,  in  Abraham's  case,  he  was  not  only  called 
to  encounter  the  Canaanite,  in  the  place  to  which  God 
had  called  him,  but  there  was  also  "  a  famine  in  the 
land."  Should  he,  therefore,  have  concluded  that  he 
was  not  in  his  right  place  ?  Assuredly  not.  That 
would  have  been  to  judge  according  to  the  sight  of  his 
eyes,  the  very  thing  which  faith  never  does.  No  doubt 
it  was  a  deep  trial  to  the  heart,  an  inexplicable  puzzle 
to  nature ;  but  to  faith  it  was  all  plain  and  easy. 
"When  Paul  was  called  into  Macedonia,  almost  the  first 
thing  he  had  to  encounter  was  the  prison  at  Philippi. 
This,  to  a  heart  out  of  communion,  would  have  seemed 
a  death-blow  to  the  entire  mission.  But  Paul  never 
questioned  the  rightness  of  his  position.  He  was 
enabled  to  "  sing  praises"  in  the  midst  of  it  all,  assured 
that  every  thing  was  just  as  it  should  be  :  and  so  it  was ; 
for  in  the  prison  of  Philippi  was  one  of  God's  vessels 
of  mercy,  who  could  not,  humanly  speaking,  have  heard 
the  gospel,  had  not  the  preachers  of  it  been  thrust  into 
the  very  place  where  he  was.  The  devil  w^as  made,  in 
spite  of  himself,  the  instrument  of  sending  the  gospel 
to  the  ears  of  one  of  God's  elect. 


138  GENESIS. 

Now,  Abraham  should  have  reasoned  in  the  same 
way,  in  reference  to  the  famine.  He  was  in  the  very 
place  in  which  God  had  set  him;  and,  evidently,  he 
received  no  direction  to  leave  it.  True,  the  famine  w^as 
there ;  and,  moreover,  Egypt  was  at  hand,  offering 
deliverance  from  pressure ;  still  the  path  of  God's  servant 
was  plain.  It  is  better  to  starve  in  Canaan,  if  it 
should  be  so,  than  live  in  luxury  in  Egypt.  It  is  better 
far  to  suffer  in  God's  path,  than  be  at  ease  in  Satan's. 
It  is  better  to  be  poor  with  Christ,  than  rich  without 
him.  "  Abraham  had  sheep,  and  oxen,  and  he  asses, 
and  men  servants,  and  maid  servants,  and  she  asses,  and 
camels."  Substantial  proofs,  the  natural  heart  would, 
doubtless,  say,  of  the  rightness  of  his  step,  in  going 
down  to  Egypt.  But,  ah  !  he  had  no  altar, — no  com- 
munion. Egypt  was  not  the  place  of  God's  presence. 
He  lost  more  than  he  gained  by  going  thither.  This  is 
ever  the  case.  Nothing  can  ever  make  up  for  the  loss 
of  our  communion  with  God.  Exemption  from  tem- 
porary pressure,  and  the  accession  of  the  greatest 
wealth  are  but  poor  equivalents  for  what  one  loses  by 
diverging  a  hair's  breadth  from  the  straight  path  of 
obedience.  How  many  of  us  can  add  our  amen  to  this  ! 
How  many,  in  order  to  avoid  the  trial  and  exercise 
connected  with  God's  path,  have  slipped  aside  into  the 
current  of  this  present  evil  world,  and  thereby  brought 
leanness  and  barrenness,  heaviness  and  gloom,  into  their 
souls !  It  maybe  they  have,  to  use  the  common  phrase, 
"made  money,"  increased  their  store,  obtained  the 
world's  favor,  been  "  entreated  well"  by  its  Pharaohs, 
gotten  a  name  and  a  position  amongst  men ;  but  are 
these  a  proper  equivalent  for  joy  in  God,  communion, 


CHAPTER  xn.  139 

liberty  of  heart,  a  pure,  unconclemning  conscience,  a 
thankful,  worshipping  spirit,  vigorous  testimony,  and 
effectual  service  ?  Alas,  for  the  man  that  can  think  so  ! 
And  yet  all  the  above  incomparable  blessings  have  been 
often  sold  for  a  little  ease,  a  little  influence,  a  little 
money. 

Christian  reader,  let  us  watch  against  the  tendency 
to  slip  aside  from  the  narrow,  yet  safe,  the  sometimes 
rough,  yet  always  pleasant,  path  of  simple,  wdiole- 
heaj-ted  obedience.  Let  us  keep  guard — jealous,  careful 
guard — over  "  faith  and  a  pure  conscience,"  for  which 
nothing  can  compensate.  Should  trial  come,  let  us, 
instead  of  turning  aside  into  Egypt,  wait  on  God ;  and 
thus  the  trial,  instead  of  proving  an  occasion  of  stum- 
bling, will  prove  an  opportunity  for  obedience.  Let  us, 
when  tempted  to  slip  into  the  course  of  the  world,  re- 
member him  ''who  gave  himself  for  our  sins,  that  he 
might  deliver  us  from  this  present  evil  world,  according 
to  the  will  of  God,  and  our  Father."  (Gal.  i.  4.)  If 
such  was  his  love  for  us,  and  such  his  sense  of  the 
true  character  of  this  present  world,  that  he  gave  him- 
self, in  order  to  deliver  us  from  it,  shall  we  deny  him 
by  plunging  again  into  that  from  which  his  cross  has 
forever  delivered  us  ?  May  God  Almighty  forbid ! 
May  he  keep  us  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand,  and  under 
the  shadow  of  his  wings,  until  we  see  Jesus  as  he  is, 
and  be  like  him,  and  with  him  forever. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

The  opening  of  this  chapter  presents  to  iis  a  subject 
of  immense  interest  to  the  heart, — namely,  the  true 
character  of  divine  restoration.  When  the  child  of  God 
has,  in  any  way,  declined  in  his  spiritual  condition,  and 
lost  his  communion,  he  is  in  great  danger,  when  con- 
science begins  to  work,  of  failing  in  the  apprehension  of 
divine  grace,  and  of  stopping  short  of  the  proper  mark 
of  divine  restoration.  Now,  we  know  that  God  does 
every  thing  in  a  way  entirely  worthy  of  himself. 
Whether  he  creates,  redeems,  converts,  restores,  or 
provides,  he  can  only  act  like  himself.  What  is 
worthy  of  himself  is,  ever  and  only,  his  standard  of 
action.  This  is  unspeakably  happy  for  us,  inasmuch  as 
we  would  ever  seek  to  "  limit  the  Holy  One  of  Israel ;" 
and  in  nothing  are  we  so  prone  to  limit  him  as  in  his 
restoring  grace.  In  the  case  now"  before  us,  we  see  that 
Abraham  was  not  only  delivered  out  of  Egypt,  but 
brought  back  "  unto  the  place  where  his  tent  had  been 

o,t  the  beginning, unto  the  place  of  the  altar  which 

he  had  made  there  at  the  first:  and  there  Abraham 
called  on  the  name  of  the  Lord."  Nothing  can  satisfy 
God,  in  reference  to  a  wanderer  or  backslider,  but  his 
being  entirely  restored.  We,  in  the  self-righteousness 
of  our  hearts,  might  imagine  that  such  an  one  should 
take  a  lower  place  than  that  which  he  had  formerly 
occupied ;  and  so  he  should,  were  it  a  question  of  his 
merit  or  his  character ;  but,  inasmuch  as  it  is,  alto- 
gether, a  question  of  grace,  it  is  God's  prerogative  to 
140 


CHAPTER    XIII.  141 

fix  the  standard  of  restoration  ;  and  his  standard  is  set 
forth  in  the  following  passage  :  "If  thou  wilt  return, 
O  Israel,  return  to  me."  It  is  thus  that  God  restores, 
and  it  would  be  unworthy  of  himself  to  do  any  thing 
else.  He  will  either  not  restore  at  all,  or  else  restore 
in  such  a  way  as  to  magnify  and  glorify  the  riches  of 
his  grace.  Thus,  when  the  leper  was  brought  back,  he 
was  actually  conducted  "  to  the  door  of  the  tabernacle 
of  the  congregation."  When  the  prodigal  returned,  he 
was  set  down  at  the  table  with  the  father.  When  Peter, 
was  restored,  he  was  able  to  stand  before  the  men  of 
Israel  and  say,  "  ye  denied  the  Holy  One,  and  the  Jiist," 
— the  very  thing  which  he  had  done  himself,  under  the 
most  aggravated  circumstances.  In  all  these  cases,  and 
many  more  which  might  be  adduced,  we  see  the  per- 
fectness  of  God's  restoration.  He  always  brings  the 
soul  back  to  himself,  in  the  full  power  of  grace  and 
the  full  confidence  of  faith.  "  If  thou  wilt  return,  return 
to  ??!(?."  "Abraham  came  unto  the  place  where  his  tent 
had  been  at  the  heginning.'''' 

Then,  as  to  the  moral  effect  of  divine  restoration,  it 
is  most  deeply  practical.  If  legalism  gets  its  answer  in 
the  character  of  the  restoration,  antinomianism  gets 
its  answer  in  the  effect  thereof.  The  restored  soul 
will  have  a  very  deep  and  keen  sense  of  the  evil  from 
which  it  has  been  delivered,  and  this  will  be  evidenced 
by  a  jealous,  prayerful,  holy,  and  circumspect  spirit. 
We  are  not  restored  in  order  that  we  may,  the  more 
lightly,  go  and  sin  again,  but  rather  that  we  may 
*'go  and  sin  no  more."  The  deeper  my  sense  of  the 
grace  of  divine  restoration,  the  deeper  will  be  my 
sense   of  the   hiliness   of    it   also.     This    principle    is 


143  GENESIS. 

taught  and  established  throughout  all  scripture ;  but 
especially  in  two  well-known  passages,  namely,  Psalms 
xxiii.  3,  and  1  John  i.  9  :  "  He  restoreth  my  soul :  he 
leadeih  me  in  the  paths  of  righteousness  for  his  name's 
sake."  And  again:  ''If  we  confess  our  sins,  he  is 
faithful  and  just  to  forgive  us  our  sins,  and  to  cleanse 
us  from  all  unrighteousness.^'  The  proper  path  for  a 
divinely-restored  soul  is  "the  path  of  righteousness." 
In  other  words,  having  tasted  divine  grace  we  walk  in 
righteousness.  To  talk  of  grace,  while  walking  in  un- 
righteousness, is,  as  the  apostle  says,  to  turn  "the  grace 
of  our  God  into  lasciviousness."  If  "grace  reigns 
through  righteousness  unto  etern'al  life,"  it  also  mani- 
fests itself  in  righteousness,  in  the  outflow  of  that  life. 
The  grace  that  forgives  us  our  sins,  cleanses  us  from  all 
unrighteousness.  Those  things  must  never  be  separated. 
"When  taken  together,  they  furnish  a  triumphant  answer 
to  the  legalism  and  antinomianism  of  the  human  heart. 

But  there,  was  a  deeper  trial  for  Abraham's  heart 
than  even  the  famine,  namely,  that  arising  from  the 
company  of  one  who  evidently  was  not  walking  in  the 
energy  of  personal  faith,  nor  in  the  realization  of  per- 
sonal responsibility.  It  seems  j^lain  that  Lot  was,  from 
the  very  beginning,  borne  onward  rather  by  Abraham's 
influence  and  example,  than  by  his  own  faith  in  God. 
This  is  a  very  common  case.  If  we  look  down  along 
the  history  of  the  people  of  God,  we  can  easily  see  how 
that,  in  every  great  movement  produced  by  the  Spirit  of 
God,  certain  individuals  have  attached  themselves  thereto 
who  were  not  personally  participators  of  the  power 
which  had  produced  the  movement.  Such  persons  go 
on  for  a  time,  either  as  a  dead  weight  upon  the  testi- 


CHAPTER   xm.  143 

niony,  or  an  active  hindrance  to  it.  Thus,  in  Abraham's 
case,  the  Lord  called  him  to  leave  his  kindred  ;  but  he 
brought  his  kindred  with  him.  Terah  retarded  him  in 
his  movement,  until  death  took  him  out  of  the  way. 
Lot  followed  him  somewhat  farther,  until  "  the  lusts  of 
other  things"  overpowered  him,  and  he  entirely  broke 
down. 

The  same  thing  is  observable  in  the  great  movement 
of  Lsrael  out  of  Egypt.  "A  mixed  multitude"  followed 
them,  and  caused  much  defilement,  weakness,  and 
sorrow ;  for  we  read,  in  Numbers  xi.,  "the  mixed  mul- 
titude that  was  among  them  fell  a  lusting :  and  the 
children  of  Israel  also  wept  again,  and  said,  who  shall 
give  us  flesh  to  eat."  So  also,  in  the  early  days  of  the 
Church  ;  and  not  only  so,  but  in  every  revival  which 
has  taken  place  therein,  down  to  the  present  day,  many 
have  been  acted  upon  by  various  influences,  which,  not 
being  divine,  proved  evanescent ;  and  the  persons  so 
acted  upon  sooner  or  later  gave  way,  and  found  their 
proper  level.  Nothing  will  endure  but  that  which  is 
of  God.  I  must  realize  the  link  between  me  and  the 
living  God.  I  must  know  myself  as  one  called  of 
him  into  the  position  which  I  occupy,  else  I  shall  have 
no  stability,  and  exhibit  no  consistency  therein.  It 
will  not  do  for  us  to  follow  in  the  track  of  other  people, 
merely  because  it  is  their  track.  God  will  graciously 
give  each  a  path  to  walk  in,  a  sphere  to  move  in,  and  a 
responsibility  to  fulfil ;  and  we  are  bound  to  know  our 
calling  and  the  functions  thereof,  that,  by  his  grace 
ministered  to  our  souls  daily,  we  may  work  therein 
effectually  to  his  glory.  It  matters  not  what  our 
measure  may  be,  provided  it  be  what  God  hath  dealt 


144  GENESIS. 

to  us.  We  may  have  "five  talents,"  or  we  may  have 
but  "  one  :"  still,  if  we  use  the  "  one,"  with  our  eye 
fixed  on  the  Master,  we  shall  be  just  as  sure  to  hear 
from  his  gracious  lips  the  words,  "Avell  done,"  as  if 
we  had  used  the  "five."  This  is  encouraging.  Paul, 
Peter,  James,  and  John,  had  each  his  peculiar  measure, 
his  specific  ministry ;  and  so  with  all :  none  needs  to 
interfere  with  another.  A  carpenter  has  a  saw  and  a 
plane,  a  hammer  and  a  chisel ;  and  he  uses  each  as  he 
needs  it.  Nothing  can  be  more  worthless  than  imita- 
tion. If,  in  the  natural  world,  we  look  at  the  various 
orders  of  creation,  we  see  no  imitation.  All  have 
their  proper  sphere,  their  proper  functions.  And  if  it 
be  thus  in  the  natural  world,  how  much  more  in  the 
spiritual.  The  field  is  wide  enough  for  all.  In  every 
house  there  are  vessels  of  various  sizes  and  various 
shapes.     The  master  wants  them  all. 

Let  us,  therefore,  my  beloved  reader,  search  and  see 
whether  we  are  walking  under  a  divine  or  a  human  in- 
fluence ;  whether  our  faith  stands  in  the  wisdom  of  man, 
or  in  the  power  of  God  ;  whether  we  are  doing  things 
because  others  have  done  them,  or  because  the  Lord  has 
called  us  to  do  them ;  whether  we  are  merely  propped 
up  by  the  example  and  influence  of  our  fellow,  or  sus- 
tained by  personal  faith  in  God.  These  are  serious 
inquiries.  It  is,  no  doubt,  a  happy  privilege  to  enjoy 
the  fellowship  of  our  brethren ;  but  if  we  are  propped 
up  by  them,  we  shall  soon  make  shipwreck.  So,  also, 
if  we  go  beyond  our  measure,  our  action  will  be  strained 
and  unsightly,  uneasy  and  unnatural.  It  is  very  easy 
to  see  when  a  man  is  working  in  his  place,  and  accord- 
ing to  his  measure.     All  affectation^  assumption,  and 


CHAPTER   XII.  145 

imilation,  is  contemptible  in  the  extreme.  Hence, 
though  we  cannot  be  great,  kt  us  be  honest ;  and 
though  we  cannot  be  brilliant,  let  us  be  genuine.  If  a 
person  goes  beyond  his  depth,  without  knowing  how  to 
swim,  he  will  surely  flounder.  If  a  vessel  put  out  to 
sea,  without  being  sea-worthy  and  in  trim,  it  will 
surely  be  beaten  back  into  harbor,  or  lost.  Lot  left 
"  Ur  of  the  Chaldees,"  but  he  fell  in  the  plains  of 
Sodom.  The  call  of  God  had  not  reached  his  heart, 
nor  the  inheritance  of  God  filled  his  vision.  Solemn 
thought  I  may  we  ponder  it  deeply  I  Blessed  be  God, 
there  is  a  path  for  each  of  his  servants,  along  which 
shines  the  light  of  his  approving  countenance,  and  to 
walk  therein  should  be  our  chief  joy.  His  approval  is 
enough  for  the  heart  that  knows  him.  True,  we  may 
not  always  be  able  to  command  the  approval  and  con- 
currence of  our  brethren ;  we  may  frequently  be  mis- 
understood ;  but  we  cannot  help  these  things.  "The 
day"  will  set  all  this  to  rights,  and  the  loyal  heart  can 
contentedly  wait  for  that  day,  knowing  that  then 
'*  every  man  shall  have  praise  of  God." 

But  it  may  be  well  to  examine,  more  particularly, 
what  it  was  that  caused  Lot  to  turn  aside  oft'  the  path 
of  public  testimony.  There  is  a  crisis  in  every  man's 
history  at  which  it  will  assuredly  be  made  manifest 
on  what  ground  he  is  resting,  by  what  motives  he  is 
actuated,  and  by  what  objects  he  is  animated.  Thus 
it  was  with  Lot.  He  did  not  die  at  Charran ;  but  he 
fell  at  Sodom.  The  ostensible  cause  of  his  fall  was  the 
strife  between  his  herdmen  and  those  of  Abraham  ;  but 
the  fact  is,  v/hen  one  is  not  really  walking  with  a  single 
eye  and  purified  affections,  he  will  easily  find  a  stone  to 
13  K 


140  GENESIS. 

stumble  over.  If  he  does  not  find  it  at  one  time,  he 
will  at  another.  If  he  does  not  find  it  here,  he  will 
find  it  there.  In  one  sense,  it  makes  little  matter  as  to 
what  may  be  the  apparent  cause  of  turning  asiae  ;  the 
real  cause  lies  underneath,  far  away,  it  may  be,  from 
common  observation,  in  the  hidden  chambers  of  the 
heart's  affections  and  desires,  where  the  world,  in  some 
shape  or  form,  has  been  sought  after.  The  strife  be- 
tween the  herdmen  might  have  been  easily  settled  with- 
out spiritual  damage  to  either  Abraham  or  Lot.  T'o 
the  former,  indeed,  it  only  afforded  an'  occasion  for  ex 
hibiting  the  beautiful  power  of  faith,  and  the  moral 
elevation,  the  heavenly  vantage-ground,  on  which  faith 
ever  sets  the  possessor  thereof.  But  to  the  latter  it 
was  an  occasion  for  exhibiting  the  thorough  worldli- 
ness  of  his  heart.  The  strife  no  more  produced  the 
worldliness  in  Lot  than  it  produced  the  faith  in  Abra- 
ham ;  it  only  manifested,  in  the  case  of  each,  what  was 
really  there. 

Thus  it  is  always  :  controversies  and  division?  arise 
in  the  Church  of  God,  and  many  are  stumbled  thereby, 
and  driven  back  into  the  world,  in  one  way  or  another. 
They  then  lay  the  blame  on  the  controversy  and  divi- 
sion, whereas  the  truth  is,  that  these  things  were  only 
the  means  of  developing  the  real  condition  of  the  soul, 
and  the  bent  of  the  heart.  The  world  was  in  the  heart, 
and  would  he  reached  by  some  route  or  another ;  nor  is 
there  much  of  moral  excellency  exhibited  in  blaming 
men  and  things,  when  the  root  of  the  matter  lies 
within.  It  is  not  that  controversy  and  division  are 
not  to  be  deeply  deplored :  assuredly  they  are.  To 
see  brethren  contending  in  the  very  presence  of  ''  the 


CHAl»TER  Xm.  I4t 

Canaanite  and  the  Perizzite,"  is  truly  lamftt* table  anii 
humiliating.     Our  language  should  ever  be,  ''  Let  there 

be  no  strife,  I  pray  thee,  between  me  and  thee 

for  we  are  brethren."  Still,  why  did  not  Abraham  make 
choice  of  Sodom  ?  Why  did  not  the  strife  drive  him 
into  the  world  ?  Why  was  it  not  an  occasion  of  stum- 
bling to  him  ?  Because  he  looked  at  it  from  God's 
point  of  view.  No  doubt,  he  had  a  heart  that  could  be 
attracted  by '' well-watered  plains,"  just  as  powerfully 
as  Lot's  heart ;  but  then  he  did  not  allow  his  own  heart 
to  choose.  He  first  let  Lot  take  his  choice,  and  then 
left  God  to  choose  for  him.  This  was  heavenly  wisdom. 
This  is  what  faith  ever  does :  it  allows  God  to  fix  its 
Inheritance,  as  it  also  allows  him  to  make  it  good.  It 
is  always  satisfied  with  the  portion  which  God  gives. 
It  can  say,  "  the  lines  are  fallen  to  me  in  pleasant 
places;  yea,  I  have  a  goodly  heritage."  It  matters  not 
where  "  the  lines"  fall ;  for,  in  the  judgment  of  faith, 
they  always  ''  fall  in  pleasant  places,"  just  because  God 
casts  them  there. 

The  man  of  faith  can  easily  afford  to  allow  the  man 
of  sight  to  take  his  choice.  He  can  say,  "  If  thou  wilt 
take  the  left  hand,  then  I  will  go  ta  the  right ;  or  if  thou 
depart  to  the  right  hand,  then  I  will  go  to  the  left." 
What  beautiful  disinterestedness  and  moral  elevation 
we  have  here  !  and  yet  what  security  !•  It  is  certain 
that,  let  nature  range  where  it  will,  let  it  take  its  most 
comprehensive  grasp,  its  boldest  and  highest  flight, 
there  is  never  the  slightest  danger  of  its  laying  its  hand 
upon  faith's  treasure.  It  will  seek  its  portion  in  quite 
an  opposite  direction.  Faith  lays  up  its  treasure  in  a 
place  which  nature  would  never  dream  of  examining  * 


r48  GENESIS. 

and,  as  to  its  approaching  thereto,  it  could  not  if  it 
would  ;  and  it  would  not  if  it  could.  Hence,  therefore, 
faith  is  perfectly  safe,  as  well  as  beautifully  disinter- 
ested, in  allowing  nature  to  take  its  choice. 

What,  then,  did  Lot  choose  when  he  got  his  ooice. 
Me  chose  Sodom.  The  very  place  that  was  about  to  be 
judged.  But  how  was  this  ?  Why  select  such  a  spot  ? 
Because  he  looked  at  the  outward  appearance,  and  not 
at  the  intrinsic  character  and  future  destiny.  The  in- 
trinsic character  was  "  ivicked."  Its  future  destiny 
was  "judgment," — to  be  destroyed  by  "■  fire  and  brim- 
stone out  of  heaven."  But,  it  may  be  said,  "  Lot  knew 
nothing  of  all  this."  Perhaps  not,  nor  Abraham  either ; 
•but  God  did  ;  and  had  Lot  allowed  God  to  "  choose  his 
inheritance  for  him,"  he  certainly  would  not  have 
chosen  a  spot  that  he  himself  was  about  to  destroy. 
He  did  not,  however.  He  judged  for  himself.  Sodom 
suited  him,  though  it  did  not  suit  God.  His  eye  rested 
on  the  "  well-watered  plains,"  and  his  heart  was  at- 
tracted by  them.  "He  pitched  his  tent  toward  Sodom." 
Such  is  nature's  choice!  ''Demas  hath  forsaken  me, 
having  loved  this  present  world."  Lot  forsook  Abra- 
ham for  the  same  reason.  He  left  the  place  of  testimony, 
and  got  into  the  place  of  judgment. 

''  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Abram,  after  that  Lot  was 
separated  from  him,  Lift  up  now  thine  eyes,  and  look 
from  the  place  where  thou  art,  northward,  and  south- 
ward, and  eastward,  and  westward  ;  for  all  the  land 
which  thou  seest,  to  thee  will  T  give  it,  and  to  thy 
seed  forever."  The  "strife"  and  "separation,"  so  far 
froin  damaging  Abraham's  spiritual  condition,  rather 
brought  out,  in  full  relief,  his  heavenly  principles,  and 


CHAPTER    XIII.  14& 

strengtbeued  in  his  soul  the  life  of  faith.  Moreover, 
it  cleared  the  prospect  for  him,  and  delivered  him  from 
the  company  of  one  who  could  only  prove  a  dead  weight. 
Thus  it.  worked  for  good,  and  yielded  a  harvest  of 
blessing.  It  is  at  once  most  solemn,  and  yet  most 
encouraging,  to  bear  in  mind  that,  in  the  long  ran,  men 
find  their  proper  level.  Men  who  run  unsent,  break 
down,  in  one  way  or  another,  and  find  their  way  back 
to  that  which  they  profess  to  have  left.  On  the  other 
hand,  those  who  are  called  of  God,  and  lean  on  him, 
are,  by  his  grace,  sustained.  "  Their  path  is  as  the 
shining  light,  which  shineth  more  and  more  unto  the 
perfect  day."  The  thought  of  this  should  keep  us 
humble,  watchful,  and  prayerful.  "  Let  him-  that 
thinketh  he  standeth  take  heed  lest  he  fall,"  for  truly, 
''there  are  first  that  shall  l)e  last,  and  there  are  last 
that  shall  be  first."  ''  He  that  endureth  to  the  end,  the 
same  shall  be  saved,"  is  a  prijiciple  which,  whatever 
be  its  specific  application,  has  a  wide  moral  bearing. 
Many  a  vessel  has  sailed  out  of  harbor  in  gallant 
style,  with  all  its  canvas  spread,  amid  cheering  and 
shouting,  and  with  many  fair  promises  of  a  first-rate 
passage  ;  but,  alas  !  storms,  waves,  shoals,  rocks,  and 
quicksands,  have  changed  the  aspect  of  things ;  and  the 
voyage  that  commenced  with  hope  has  ended  in  dis- 
aster. I  am  here  only  referring  to  the  path  of  service 
and  testimony,  and  by  no  means  to  the  question  of  a 
man's  eternal  acceptance  in  Christ.  This  latter,  blessed 
be  God,  does  not  in  any  wise  rest  with  ourselves,  but 
with  him  who  has  said,  "  I  give  unto  my  sheep  eternal 
life,  and  they  shall  never  perish,  neither  shall  any  pluck 
them  out  of  my  hand"      But  do  we  not   know  that 


150  GENESIS. 

many  Cliristians  set  out  on  some  special  course  of  ser- 
vice or  testimony,  under  the  impression  that  they  are 
called  of  God  thereto,  and  after  a  time  they  break 
down  ?  Unquestionably.  And,  further,  very  many  set 
out  ill  the  profession  of  some  special  principle  of  action, 
respecting  which  they  have  not  been  divinely  taught, 
or  the  consequences  of  which  they  have  not  maturely 
considered  in  the  presence  of  God,  and,  as  a  necessary 
result,  they  themselves  have  been  found  after  a  time  in 
the  open  violation  of  those  very  principles.  All  this  is 
deplorable,  and  should  be  carefully  avoided.  It  tends  to 
weaken  the  faith  of  God's  elect,  and  causes  the  enemies 
of  the  truth  to  speak  reproachfully.  Each  one  should 
receive  his  call  and  his  commission  directly  from  the 
Master  himself  All  whom  Christ  calls  into  any  special 
service,  he  will,  infallibly,  maintain  therein,  for  he 
never  sent  any  one  a  warfare  at  his  own  charges.  But 
if  we  run  unsent,  we  s^all  not  only  be  left  to  learn  our 
folly,  but  to  exhibit  it. 

Yet  it  is  not  that  any  one  should  set  himself  up  as 
the  impersonation  of  any  principle,  or  as  an  example  of 
any  special  character  of  service  or  testimony.  God  for- 
bid. This  would  be  the  most  egregious  folly  and  empty 
conceit.  It  is  a  teacher's  business  to  set  forth  God's 
Word;  and  it  is  a  servant's  business  to  set  forth  the 
Master'si  will ;  but  while  all  this  is  fully  understood 
and  admitted,  we  must  ever  remember  the  deep  need 
there  is  of  counting  the  cost,  ere  we  undertake  to  build 
a  tower  or  go  forth  to  war.  Were  this  more  seriously 
attended  to,  there  would  be  far  less  confusion  and  failure 
in  our  midst.  Abraham  was  called  of  God  from  Ur  to 
Canaan,  and   hence,  God  led  him  forth  on  the  way. 


CHAI>TER   XIV.  15 

When  Abraham  tarried  at  Charran,  God  waited  for 
him  ;  when  he  went  down  into  Egypt,  he  restored  him  ; 
when  he  needed  guidance,  he  guided  him ;  when  there 
was  a  strife  and  a  separation,  he  took  care  of  him ;  so 
that  Abraham  had  only  to  say,  "  Oh,  how  great  is  thy 
goodness  which  thou  hast  laid  up  for  them  that  fear 
thee ;  which  thou  hast  wrought  for  them  that  trust  in 
thee,  before  the  sons  of  men."  He  lost  nothing  by  the 
strife.  He  had  his  tent  and  his  altar  before ;  and  he 
had  his  tent  and  his  altar  afterwards.  "  Then  Abram 
removed  his  tent,  and  came  and  dwelt  in  the  plain  of 
Mamre,  which  is  in  Hebron,  and  built  there  an  altar 
linto  the  Lord."  Lot  might  choose  Sodom  ;  but  as  for 
Abraham,  he  sought  and  found  his  all  in  God.  There 
was  no  altar  in  Sodom.  Alas  !  all  who  travel  in  that 
direction  are  in  quest  of  something  quite  diiferent  from 
that.  It  is  never  the  worship  of  God,  but  the  love  of 
the  world  that  leads  them  thither.  And  even  though 
they  should  attain  their  object,  what  is  it  ?  How  does 
it  end  ?     Just  thus  :   "He  gave  them  their  request,  but 


CHAPTER  XIY. 

We  are  here  presented  with  an  historic  record  of  the 
revolt  of  five  kings  from  under  the  hand  of  Cheder- 
laomer,  and  a  battle  consequent  thereon.  The  Spirit  of 
God  can  occupy  himself  with  the  movements  of  "  kings 
and  their  armies,"  when  such  movements  are  in  anywise 
connected  with  the  people  of  God.     In  the  present  cas^ 


i52  GENESIS. 

Abraham  personally  had  nothing  whatever  to  do  with 
the  revolt  or  its  consequences.  His  "tent  and  altar" 
were  not  likely  to  furnish  an  occasion  for  the  declaration 
of  war,  nor  yet  to  be  much  affected  by  the  outbreak  or 
issue  thereof.  The  proper  portion  of  a  heavenly  man 
could  never,  by  any  possibility,  tempt  the  cupidity  nor 
excite  the  ambition  of  the  kings  and  conquerors  of  this 
world. 

However,  although  Abraham  was  not  affected  by  the 
battle  of  "  four  kings  with  five,"  yet  Lot  was.  His 
position  was  such  as  to  involve  him  in  the  whole  affair. 
So  long  as  we  are  enabled,  through  grace,  to  pursue  the 
path  of  simple  faith,  we  shall  be  thrown  completely 
outside  the  range  of  this  world's  circumstances  ;  but  if 
we  abandon  our  high  and  holy  position  as  those  whose 
"citizenship  is  in  heaven,"  and  seek  a  name,  a  place, 
and  a  portion  in  the  earth,  we  must  expect  to  participate 
in  earth's  convulsions  and  vicissitudes.  Lot  had  taken 
up  his  abode  in  the  plains  of  Sodom,  and  was,  therefore, 
deeply  and  sensibly  affected  by  the  wars  of  Sodom.  It 
must  ever  be  thus.  It  is  a  bitter  and  a  painful  thing 
for  the  child  of  God  to  mingle  himself  with  the  children 
of  this  world.  He  can  never  do  so  without  serious 
damage  to  his  own  soul,  as  well  as  to  the  testimony 
with  which  he  is  entrusted.  What  testimony  was  Lot 
in  Sodom  ?  A  very  feeble  one,  indeed,  if  one  at  all. 
The  very  fact  of  his  settling  himself  there  was  the 
death-blow  to  his  testimony.  To  have  spoken  a  word 
against  Sodom  and  its  ways  would  have  been  to  con- 
demn himself, — for  why  was  he  there  ?  But  in  truth, 
it  does  not  by  any  means  appear  that  to  testify  for 
God  formed  any  part  of  his  object  in  "pitching  his 


CHAPTER   XIV.  153 

tent  toward  Sodom."  Personal  and  family  interests 
seem  to  have  been  the  leading  springs  of  action  in  his 
heart ;  and  though,  as  Peter  tells  us,  ''  his  righteous 
soul  was  vexed  with  the  filthy  conversation  of  the 
wicked,  from  day  to  day,"  yet  had  he  but  little  power 
to  act  against  it,  even  if  inclined  so  to  do. 

It  is  important,  in  a  practical  point  of  view,  to  see 
that  we  cannot  be  governed  by  two  objects  at  the 
same  time.  For  example,  I  cannot  have  before  my 
mind  as  objects  my  worldly  interests  and  the  interests 
of  the  gospel  of  Christ.  If  I  go  to  a  toTVTi  for  the  pur- 
pose of  setting-up  in  business,  then,  clearly,  business  is 
my  object,  and  not  the  gospel.  I  may,  no  doubt,  pro- 
pose to  myself  both  to  attend  to  business  and  to  preach 
the  gospel  as  well ;  but,  all  the  while,  either  one  or  the 
other  must  be  my  object.  It  is  not  that  a  servant  of 
Christ  may  not  most  blessedly  and  effectually  preach 
the  gospel  and  attend  to  business  also  :  he  assuredly 
may ;  but,  in  such  a  case,  the  gospel  will  be  his  object, 
and  not  business.  Paul  preached  the  gospel  and  made 
tents ;  but  the  gospel  was  his  object,  and  not  tent- 
making.  If  I  make  business  my  object,  the  gospel 
preaching  will  speedily  prove  to  be  formal  and  un- 
profitable work ;  yea,  it  will  be  well  if  it  be  not  made 
use  of  to  sanctify  my  covetousness.  The  ■  heart  is 
very  treacherous ;  and  it  is  often  truly  astonishing  to 
see  how  it  deceives  us  when  we  desire  to  gain  some 
special  point.  It  will  furnish,  in  abundance,  the  most 
plausible  reasons  ;  while  the  eyes  of  our- understanding 
are  so  blinded  by  self-interest  or  unjudged  wilfulness, 
as  to  be  incapable  of  detecting  their  plausibility.  How 
frequently  do  we  hear  persons  defending  a  continuance 


154  GENESIS. 

in  a  position  which  they  admit  to  be  wrong,  on  tho 
plea  that  they  thereby  enjoy  a  wider  sphere  of  useful- 
ness.. To  all  such  reasoning,  Samuel  furnishes  a  pointed 
and  powerful  reply  :  "  To  obey  is  better  than  sacrifice, 
and  to  hearken  than  the  fat  of  rams."  Which  was— 
Abraham  or  Lot — able  to  do  the  more  good  ?  Does  not 
the  history  of  those  two  men  prove  beyond  a  question 
that  the  most  effectual  way  to  serve  the  world  is  to 
be  faithful  to  it,  by  separating  from  and  testifying 
against  it  ? 

But  be  it  remembered  that  genuine  separation  from 
the  world  can  only  be  the  result  of  communion  with 
God.  I  may  seclude  myself  from  the  world,  and  con- 
stitute myself  the  centre  of  my  being,  like  a  monk  or 
a  cynic ;  but  separation  to  God  is  a  totally  different 
thing.  The  one  chills  and  contracts,  the  other  warms 
and  expands.  That  drives  us  in  upon  ourselves ;  this 
draws  us  out  in  love  and  interest  for  others.  That 
makes  self  and  its  interests  our  centre  ;  this  makes  God 
and  his  glory  our  centre.  Thus,  in  Abraham's  case, 
we  see  that  the  very  fact  of  his  separation  enabled  him 
to  render  effectual  service  to  one  who  had  involved 
himself  in  trouble  by  his  worldly  ways.  "  When  Abra- 
ham heard  that  his  brother  was  taken  captive,  he  armed 
his  trained  servants,  born  in  his  own  house,  three  hun- 
dred and  eighteen,  and  pursued  them  unto  Dan  ..... 
and  he  brouglit  back  all  the  goods,  and  also  brought 
again  his  brother  Lot,  and  his  goods,  and  the  women 
also,  and  the  people."  Lot  was  Abraham's  brother, 
after  all ;  and  brotherly  love  must  act.  ''A  brother  is 
born  for  adversity  ;"  and  it  often  happens  that  a  season 
of  adversity  softens  the  heart,  and  renders  it  susceptible 


CnAITER  XIY.  ]55 

Df  kindness,  even  from  one  with  whom  we  have  had  to 
part  company  ;  and  it  is  remarkable  that,  while  in  verse 
12  we  read,  "they  took  Lot,  Ahraharn's  brother^s  son," 
y^et  in  verse  14  we  read,  "when  Abram  heard  that  his 
brother  was  taken  captive."  The  claims  of  a  brother's 
trouble  are  answered  by  the  affections  of  a  brother's 
heart.  This  is  divine.  Genuine  faith,  while  it  always 
renders  us  independent,  never  renders  us  indifferent.  It 
will  never  wrap  itself  up  in  its  fleece  while  a  brother 
shivers  in  the  cold.  There  are  three  things  which  faith 
does  :  it  "  purifies  the  heart ;"  it  "  works  by  love  ;"  and 
it  "  overcomes  the  world ;"  and  all  these  results  of  faith 
are  beautifully  exhibited  in  Abraham  on  this  occasion. 
His  heart  was  purified  from  Sodom's  pollutions ;  he 
manifested  genuine  love  to  Lot,  his  brother  ;  and,  finally, 
he  was  completely  victorious  over  the  kings.  Such  are 
the  precious  fruits  of  faith, — that  heavenly,  Christ- 
honoring  principle. 

However,  the  man  of  faith  is  not  exempt  from  the 
assaults  of  the  enemy ;  and  it  frequently  happens  that 
immediately  after  a  victory  one  has  to  encounter  a 
fresh  temptation.  Thus  it  was  with  Abraham.  "  The 
king  of  Sodom  went  out  to  meet  him,  after  his  return 
from  the  slaughter  of  Chedorlaomer,  and  of  the  kings 
that  were  with  him,"  There  was,  evidently,  a  very 
deep  and  insidious  design  of  the  enemy  in  this  move- 
ment. "  The  king  of  Sodom"  presents  a  very  different 
thought,  and  exhibits  a  very  different  phase  of  the 
enemy's  power,  from  what  we  have  in  "  Chedorlaomer 
and  the  kings  that  were  with  him."  In  the  former,  we 
have  rather  the  hiss  of  the  serpent ;  in  the  latter,  the 
roar  of  the  lion ;  but  whether  it  were  the  serpent  or 


156  GENESIS. 

the  lion,  the  Lord's  grace  was  ■  amply  sufficient ;  and 
most  seasonably  was  this  grace  ministered  to  the  Lord's 
servant  at  the  exact  moment  of  need.  "And  Mel- 
chizedek,  king  of  Salem,  brought  forth  bread  and  wine, 
and  he  was  the  priest  of  the  most  high  God.  And  he 
blessed  him,  and  said.  Blessed  be  Abram  of  the  most 
high  God,  possessor  of  heaven  and  earth ;  and  blessed 
be  the  most  high  God,  which  hath  delivered  thine  ene- 
mies into  thy  hand."  We  have  here  to  remark,  first, 
the  peculiar  point  at  which  Melchizedek  enters  the 
scene ;  and,  secondly,  the  double  effect  of  his  ministry. 
He  did  not  come  forth  when  Abraham  was  in  pursuit 
of  Ch'edorlaomer,  but  when  the  king  of  Sodom  was  in 
pursuit  of  Abraham.  This  makes  a  great  moral  differ- 
ence. A  deeper  character  of  communion  was  needed  to 
meet  the  deeper  character  of  c  inflict. 

And  then  as  to  the  ministry, — the  "bread  and  wine" 
refreshed  Abraham's  spirit,  after  his  conflict  with 
Chedorlaomer ;  while  the  benediction  prepared  his  heart 
for  his  conflict  with  the  king  of  Sodom.  Abraham  was 
a  conqueror,  and  yet  he  was  about  to  be  a  comljatant, 
and  the  royal  priest  refreshed  the  conqueror's  spirit,  and 
fortified  the  combatant's  heart. 

It  is  peculiarly  sweet  to  observe  the  manner  in  which 
Melchizedek  introduces  God  to  the  thoughts  of  Abra- 
ham. He  calls  him  "the  most  high  God,, possessor  of 
heaven  and  earth  ;"  and  not  only  so,  but  pronounces 
Abraham  "blessed"  of  that  same  God.  This  was 
effectually  preparing  him  for  the  king  of  Sodom.  A 
man  who  was  "  blessed"  of  God  did  not  need  to  take 
aught  from  the  enemy  ;  and  if  "  the  possessor  of  heaven 
and  earth"  filled  his  vision,  "the  goods"  of  Sodom  could 


•      CHAPTER   XTV.  157 

have  but  little  attraction.  Hence,  as  miirlit  be  expecterl, 
when  the  king  of  Sodom  made  his  proposal,  "  Give  me 
the  persons  and  take  the  goods  to  thyself,"  Abraham 
replies,  "I  have  lift  up  my  hand  unto  the  Lord,  the 
most  high  God,  the  possessor  of  heaven  and  earth,  that 
I  will  not  take  from  a  thread  even  to  a  shoelatchet,  and 
that  I  will  not  take  any  thing  that  is  thine,  lest  thou 
shouldest  say,  I  have  made  Abram  rich."  Abraham 
refuses  to  be  enriched  by  the  king  of  Sodom.  How 
could  he  think  of  delivering  Lot  from  the  power  of  the 
world,  if  he  himself  were  governed  thereby  ?  The  only 
true  way  in  which  to  deliver  another  is  to  be  thoroughly 
delivered  myself.  So  long  as  I  am  in  the  fire,  it  is 
quite  impossible  I  can  pluck  another  out  of  it.  The 
path  of  separation  is  the  path  of  power,  as  it  is  alsQ^  the 
path  of  peace  and  blessedness. 

The  world  in  all  its  various  forms  is  the  great  in- 
strument of  which  Satan  makes  use,  in  order  to  weaken 
the  hands  and  alienate  the  affections  of  the  servants  of 
Christ.  But,  blessed  be  God,  when  the  heart  is  true  to 
him,  he  always  comes  in  to  cheer,  to  strengthen,  and 
to  fortify,  at  the  right  time.  "  The  eyes  of  the  Lord 
run  to  and  fro  throughout  the  whole  earth,  to  show 
himself  strong  in  the  behalf  of  them  whose  heart  is 
perfect  toward  him."  (2  Chron.  xvi.  9.)  This  is  an  en- 
couraging truth  for  our  poor,  timid,  doubting,  faltering 
hearts.  Christ  will  be  our  strength  and  shield.  He 
will  "cover  our  heads  in  the  day  of  battle;"  he  will 
"  teach  our  hands  to  war  and  our  fingers  to  fight;"  and 
finally  "he  will  bruise  Satan  under  our  feet  shortly." 
All  this  is  unspeakably  comforting  to  a  heart  sincerely 
desirous  of  making  way  against  "the  world,  the 
14 


158    '  GENESIS. 

flesh,  and  the  devil."  May  the  Lord  keep  our  hearts 
true  to  himself  in  the  midst  of  the  ensnaring  scene 
around  us. 


CHAPTER  XY. 

"  After  these  things,  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  unto 
Abram  in  a  vision,  saying,  Fear  not,  Abram.  I  am  thy 
shield,  and  thy  exceeding  great  reward,"  The  Lord 
would  not  suffer  his  servant  to  be  a  loser,  by  rejecting 
the  offers  of  this  world.  It  was  infinitely  better  for 
Abraham  to  find  himself  hidden  behind  Jehovah's  shield, 
than  to  take  refuge  beneath  the  patronage  of  the  king 
of  Sodom;  and  to  be  anticipating  his  "exceeding  great 
reward,"  than  to  accept  "the  goods"  of  Sodom.  The 
position  into  which  Abraham  is  put  in  the  opening  verse 
of  our  chapter,  is  beautifully  expressive  of  the  position 
into  which  every  soul  is  introduced  by  the  faith  of 
Christ.  Jehovah  was  his  "  shield,"  that  he  might  rest 
in  him ;  Jehovah  was  his  "  reward,"  that  he  might 
wait  for  him.  So  with  the  believer  now :  he  finds  his 
present  rest,  his  present  peace,  his  present  security,  all 
in  Christ.  No  dart  of  the  enemy  can  possibly  penetrate 
the  shield  which  covers  the  weakest  believer  in  Jesus. 

And  then  as  to  the  future,   Christ  fills  it.     Precious 
portion  I     Precious  hope  !     A  portion  which  can  never 
be  exhausted:  a  hope  which  will  never  make  ashamed 
Both  are  infallibly  secured  by  the  counsels  of  God,  and 
the   accomplished   atonement  of  Christ.     The  present 


CHAPTER  XV.  '159 

enjo3^ment  thereof  is  by  the  ministry  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
who  dwells  in  us.  This  being  the  case,  it  is  manifest 
that  if  the  believer  is  pursuing  a  worldly  career,  or  in- 
dulging in  worldly  or  carnal  desires,  he  cannot  be  en- 
joying either  the  ''  shield"  or  the  "  reward."  If  the  Holy 
Ghost  is  grieved,  he  will  not  minister  the  enjoyment 
of  that  which  is  our  proper  portion,  our  proper  hope. 
Hence  in  the  section  of  Abraham's  history  now  before 
us,  we  see  that  when  he  had  returned  from  the  slaughter 
of  the  kings  and  rejected  the  offer  of  the  king  of  Sodom, 
Jehovah  rose  before  his  soul  in  the  double  character,  as 
his  "shield  and  his  exceeding  great  reward."  Let  the 
heart  ponder  this,  for  it  contains  a  volume  of  deeply 
practical  truth.  We  shall  now  examine  the  remainder 
of  the  chapter. 

In  it  we  have  unfolded  to  us  the  two  great  principles 
of  sonship  and  heirship.  "  And  Abram  said.  Lord  God, 
what  wilt  thou  give  me,  seeing  I  go  childless,  and  the 
steward  of  my  house  is  this  Eliezer  of  Damascus  ? 
And  Abram  said,  Behold,  thou  hast  given  to  me  no 
seed:  and  lo,  one  born  in  my  house  is  mine  heir.''^ 
Abraham  desired  a  son,  for  he  knew  upon  divine 
authority  that  his  "  seed"  should  inherit  the  land. 
(Chap.  xiii.  15.)  Sonship  and  heirship  are  inseparably 
connected  in  the  thoughts  of  God.  "  He  that  shall  come 
forth  out  of  thine  own  bowels  shall  be  thine  heir." 
Sonship  is  the  proper  basis  of  every  thing ;  and  more- 
over-it  is  the  result  of  God's  sovereign  counsel  and 
operation,  as  we  read  in  James,  "  of  his  own  will  begat 
he  us."  Finally,  it  is  founded  upon  God's  eternal  prin- 
ciple of  resurrection.  How  else  could  it  be  ?  Abraham's 
body  was  "dead;"  wherefore,  in  his  case,  as  in  every 


160    •  GENESIS. 

other,  sonship  must  be  in  the  power  of  resurrection. 
Nature  is  dead,  and  can  neither  beget  nor  conceive 
aught  for  God.  There  lay  the  inheritance  stretching 
out  before  the  patriarch's  eye,  in  all  its  magnificent  di- 
mensions ;  but  where  was  the  heir  ?  Abraham's  body 
and  Sarah's  womb  alike  answered  " death.^^  But  Jeho- 
vah is  the  God  of  resurrection,  and,  therefore,  a  "  dead 
body  "  was  the  very  thing  for  him  to  act  upon.  Had 
nature  not  been  dead,  God  should  have  put  it  to  death 
ere  he  could  fully  show  himself.  The  most  suitable 
theatre  for  the  living  God  is  that  from  which  nature, 
with  all  its  boasted  powers  and  empty  pretensions,  has 
been  totally  expelled  by  the  sentence  of  death.  Where- 
fore, God's  word  to  Abraham  was,  ''  look  now  toward 
heaven,  and  tell  the  stars,  if  thou  be  able  to  number 
them  ;  and  he  said  unto  him.  So  shall  thy  seed  be." 
When  the  God  of  resurrection  fills  the  vision  there  is 
no  limit  to  the  soul's  blessing,  for  he  who  can  quicken 
the  dead,  can  do  any  thing. 

''And  he  believed  in  the  Lord,  and  he  counted  it 
unto  him  for  righteousness."  The  imputation  of  right- 
eousness to  Abraham  is  here  founded  upon  his  believing 
in  the  Lord  as  the  Quickener  of  the  dead.  It  is  in  this 
character  that  he  reveals  himself  in  a  world  where 
death  reigns ;  and  when  a  soul  believes  in  him,  as  such, 
it  is  counted  righteous  in  his  sight.  This  necessarily 
shuts  man  out,  as  regards  his  co-operation,  for  what  can 
he  do  in  the  midst  of  a  scene  of  death  ?  Can  he  raise 
the  dead  ?  Can  he  open  the  gates  of  the  grave  ?  Can 
he  deliver  himself  from  the  power  of  death,  and  walk 
forth,  in  life  and  liberty,  beyond  the  limits  of  its  dreary 
domain  ?     Assuredly  not.     Well,  then,  if  he  cannot  do 


CHAPTER   XV.  161 

SO,  he  cannot  work  out  righteousness,  nor  establish 
himself  in  the  relation  of  sonship.  ''  God  is  not  the 
God  of  the  dead,  but  of  the  living,"  and,  therefore,  so 
long  as  a  man  is  under  the  power  of  death,  and  under 
the  dominion  of  sin,  he  can  neither  know  the  position 
of  a  son,  nor  the  condition  of  righteousness.  Thus, 
God  alone  can  -bestow  the  adoption  of  sons,  and  he 
alone  can  impute  righteousness,  and  both  are  connected 
with  faith  in  him  as  the  One  who  raised  up  Christ 
from  the  dead. 

It  is  in  this  way  that  the  apostle  handles  the  ques- 
tion of  Abraham's  faith,  in  Romans  iv.,  where  he  says, 
'*  It  was  not  written  for  his  sake  alone,  that  it  was 
imputed  unto  him  ;  but  for  us  also  to  whom  it  shall  be 
imputed,  if  we  believe  on  him  that  raised  up  Jesus  our 
Lord  from  the  dead.^^  Here  the  God  of  resurrection 
is  presented  *'  to  us  also,"  as  the  object  of  faith,  and 
our  faith  in  him  as  the  alone  ground  of  our  righteous- 
ness. If  Abraham  had  looked  up  into  heaven's  vault, 
spangled  with  innumerable  stars,  and  then  looked  at 
"his  own  body  now  dead,"  how  could  he  ever  grasp  the 
idea  of  a  seed  as  numerous  as  those  stars  ?  Impossible. 
But  he  did  not  look  at  his  own  body,  but  at  the  resur- 
rection power  of  God ;  and,  inasmuch  as  that  was  the 
power  which  was  to  produce  the  seed,  we  can  easily  see 
that  the  stars  of  heaven  and  the  sand  on  the  sea-shore 
are  but  feeble  figures  indeed ;  for  what  natural  object 
could  possibly  illustrate  the  etfect  of  that  power  ^s'hich 
can  raise  the  dead  ? 

So  also,  when  a  sinner  hearkens  to  the  glad  tidings 
of  the  gospel,  were  he  to  look  up  to  the  unsullied  light 
of  the  divine  presence,  and  then  look  down  into  the  un- 

L 


162  GENESIS. 

explored  depths  of  his  own  evil  nature,  he  might  well 
exclaim,  How  can  I  ever  get  thither  ?  How  can  I  ever 
be  fit  to  dwell  in  that  light  ?  Where  is  the  answer  ? 
In  himself  ?  Nay,  blessed  be  God,  but  in  that  blessed 
One  who  travelled  from  the  bosom  to  the  cross  and  the 
grave,  and  from  thence  to  the  throne,  thus  filling  up 
in  his  person  and  work  all  the  space  between  those 
extreme  points.  There  can  be  nothing  higher  than  the 
bosom  of  God, — the  eternal  dwelling-place  of  the  Son ; 
and  there  can  be  nothing  lower  than  the  cross  and  the 
grave  ;  but,  amazing  truth  !  I  find  Christ  in  both.  I 
find  him  in  the  bosom,  and  I  find  him  in  the  grave. 
He  went  down  into  death  in  order  that  he  might  leave 
behind  him  in  the  dust  thereof  the  full  weight  of 
bis  people's  sins  and  iniquities.  Christ  in  the  grave 
exhibits  the  end  of  every  thing  human, — the  end  of  sin, 
— the  full  limit  of  Satan's  power.  The  grave  of  Jesus 
forms  the  grand  terminus  of  all.  But  resurrection 
takes  us  beyond  this  terminus  and  constitutes  the  im- 
perishable basis  on  which  God's  glory  and  man's  bless- 
ing repose  forever.  The  moment  the  eye  of  faith 
rests  on  a  risen  Christ,  there  is  a  triumphant  answer  to 
every  question  as  to  sin,  judgment,  death,  and  the  grave. 
The  One  who  divinely  met  all  these  is  alive  from  the 
dead,  and  has  taken  his  seat  at  the  right  hand  of  the 
majesty  in  the  heavens  ;  and,  not  only  so,  but  the 
Spirit  of  that  risen  and  glorified  One,  in  the  believer, 
constitutes  him  a  son.  He  is  quickened  out  of  the 
grave  of  Christ ;  as  we  read,  "  and  you,  being  dead  in 
your  sins,  and  the  uncircumcision  of  your  flesh,  hath  he 
quickened  together  with  him,  having  forgiven  you  all 
trespasses."  (Col.  ii.  13.) 


CHAPTER    XV.  163 

Hence,  therefore,  sonsliip,  being  founded  on  resur- 
rection, stands  connected  with  perfect  justification, — 
perfect  righteousness, — perfect  freedom  from  every  thing 
which  could,  in  any  wise,  be  against  us.  God  could  not 
have  us  in  his  presence  with  sin  upon  us.  He  could 
not  suffer  a  single  speck  or  stain  of  sin  upon  his  sons 
and  daughters.  The  father  could  not  have  the  prodigal 
at  his  table  with  the  rags  of  the  far  country  upon  him. 
He  could  go  forth  to  meet  him  in  those  rags.  He 
could  fall  upon  his  neck  and  kiss  him,  in  those  rags. 
It  was  worthy,  and  beautifully  characceristic  of  his 
grace  so  to  do  ;  but  then  to  seat  him  at  his  table  in  the 
rags  would  never  do.  The  grace  that  brought  the 
father  out  to  the  prodigal,  reigns  through  the  righteous- 
ness which  brought  the  prodigal  in  to  the  father.  It 
would  not  have  been  gr^ce  had  the  father  waited  for 
the  son  to  deck  himself  in  robes  of  his  own  providing ; 
and  it  would  not  have  been  righteous  to  bring  him  in 
in  his  rags ;  but  both  grace  and  righteousness  shone 
forth  in  all  their  respective  brightness  and  beauty  when 
the  father  went  out  and  fell  on  the  prodigal's  neck  ;  but 
yet  did  not  give  him  a  seat  at  the  table  until  he  was 
clad  and  decked  in  a  manner  suited  to  that  elevated  and 
happy  position.  God,  in  Christ,  has  stooped  to  the  very 
lowest  point  of  man's  moral  condition,  that,  by  stooping 
he  might  raise  maa  to  the  very  highest  point  of 
blessedness,  in  fellowship  with  himself.  From  all  this, 
it  follows,  that  our  sonship,  with  all  its  consequent 
dignities  and  privileges,  is  entirely  independent  of  us. 
We  have  just  as  little  to  do  with  it  as  Abraham's  dead 
body  and  Sarah's  dead  womb  had  to  do  with  a  seed  as 
numerous  as  the  stars  which  garnish  the  heavens,  or  as 


164  GENESIS. 

the  sand  on  the  sea-shore.  It  is  all  of  God.  God  the 
Father  drew  the  plan,  God  the  Son  laid  the  foundation, 
and  God  the  Holy  Ghost  raises  the  superstructure  ; 
and  on  this  superstructure  appears  the  inscription, 
"  Through  grace,  by  faith,  without  works  of  law." 

But,  then,  our  chapter  opens  another  most  important 
subject  to  our  view,  namely,  heirship.  The  question  of 
sonship  and  righteousness  being  fully  settled, — divinely 
and  unconditionally  settled, — the  Lord  said  unto  Abra- 
ham, "  I  am  the  Lord  that  brought  thee  out  of  Ur  of 
the  Chaldees,  to  give  thee  this  land  to  inherit  it,"  Here 
comes  out  the  great  question  of  heirship,  and  the  pe- 
culiar path  along  which  the  chosen  heirs  are  to  travel 
ere  they  reach  the  promised  inheritance.  "  If  children, 
then  heirs,  heirs  of  God,  and  joint-heirs  with  Christ; 
if  so  be  that  we  suffer  with  l^im,  that  we  may  be  also 
glorified  together."  Our  way  to  the  kingdom  lies 
through  suffering,  affliction,  and  tribulation  ;  but,  thank 
God,  we  can,  by  faith,  say,  "  the  sufferings  of  this  pres- 
ent time  are  not  worthy  to  be  compared  with  the  glory 
which  shall  be  revealed  in  us.  And  further,  we  know 
that  "our  light  affliction,  which  is  but  for  a  moment, 
worketh  out  for  us  a  far  more  exceeding  and  eternal 
weight  of  glory."  Finally,  "we  glory  in  tribulation, 
knowing  that  tribulation  worketh  patience,  and  patience 
experience,  and  experience  hope."  It  is  a  high  honor 
and  a  real  privilege  to  be  allowed  to  drink  of  our 
blessed  Master's  cup,  and  be  baptized  with  his  baptism  ; 
to  travel  in  blest  companionship  with  him  along  the 
road  which  leads  directly  to  the  glorious  inheritance. 
The  Heir  and  the  joint-heirs  reach  that  inheritance  by 
the  pathway  of  suffering. 


CHAPTER    XV.  165 

But  let  it  be  remembered  that  the  suffering  of  which 
the  joint-heirs  participate  has  no  penal  element  in  it. 
It  is  not  suffering  from  the  hand  of,  infinite  justice,  be- 
cause of  sin ;  all  that  was  fully  met  on  the  cross, 
when  the  divine  Victim  bowed  his  sacred  head  beneath 
the  stroke.  "  Christ  also  hath  once  suffered  for  sins," 
and  that  "once,"  was  on  the  tree  and  noivhere  else. 
He  never  suffered  for  sins  before,  and  he  never  can 
suffer  for  sins  again.  "  Once,  in  the  end  of  the  world, 
(the  end  of  all  flesh,)  hath  he  appeared  to  put  away 
sin,  by  the  sacrifice  of  himself."  *'  Christ  was  once 
offered. " 

There  are  two  ways  in  which  to  view  a  suffering 
Christ :  first,  as  bruised  of  Jehovah  ;  secondly,  as  re- 
jected of  men.  In  the  former,  he  stood  alone ;  in  the 
latter,  we  have  the  honor  of  being  associated  with 
him.  In  the  former,  I  say,  he  stood  alone,  for  who 
could  have  stood  with  him  ?  He  bore  the  wrath  of 
God  alone  ;  he  travelled  in  solitude  down  into  "  the 
rough  valley  that  had  neither  been  eared  nor  sown," 
and  there  he  settled  forever  the  question  of  our  sins. 
With  this  we  had  nothing  to  do,  though  to  this  we  are 
eternally  indebted  for  every  thing.  He  fought  the  fight 
and  gained  the  victory,  alone  ;  but  he  divides  the  spoils 
with  us.  He  was  in  solitude  "  in  the  horrible  pit  and 
miry  clay  ;"  but  directly  he  planted  his  foot  on  the  ever- 
lasting "rock"  of  resurrection,  he  associates  us  with 
him.  He  uttered  the  cry  alone  ;  he  sings  the  "  new 
song'^^  in  company.     (Ps.  xl.  2,  3.) 

Xow,  the  question  is,  Shall  we  refuse  to  suffer  from 
the  hand  of  man  with  him  who  suffered  from  the  hand 
of  God  for  us  ?     That  it  is,  in  a  certain  sense,  a  ques- 


166  GENESIS.    ' 

tion  is  evident  from  the  Spirit's  constant  use  of  the 
word  ''  if,"  in  connection  with  it.  "If  so  be  we  suffer 
with  him."  "  If  we  suffer,  we  shall  reign."  There  is 
no  such  question  as  to  sonship.  We  do  not  reach  the 
high  dignity  of  sons  through  suffering,  but  through  the 
quickening  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  founded  on  the 
accomplished  work  of  Christ,  according  to  God's  eternal 
counsel.  This  can  never  be  touched.  We  do  not  reach 
the  family  through  suffering.  The  apostle  does  not  say, 
"  that  ye  may  be  counted  worthy  of  the  family  of  God 
for  which  ye  also  suffer."  They  were  in  the  family 
already ;  but  they  were  bound  for  the  kingdom ;  and 
their  road  to  that  kingdom  la}^  through  suffering ;  and 
not  only  so,  but  the  measure  of  suffering  for  the  king- 
dom would  be  according  to  their  devotedness  and  con- 
formity to  the  King.  The  more  like  we  are  to  him,  the 
more  we  shall  suffer  with  him ;  and  the  deeper  our  fel- 
lowship with  him  in  the  suffering,  the  deeper  will  be  our 
fellowship  in  the  glory.  There  is  a  difference  between 
the  house  of  the  Father  and  the  kingdom  of  the  Son  :  in 
the  former,  it  will  be  a  question  of  capacity  ;  in  the  latter, 
a  question  of  assigned  position.  All  my  children  may 
be  round  my  table,  but  their  enjoyment  of  my  company 
and  conversation  will  entirely  depend  on  their  capacity. 
One  may  be  seated  on  my  knee,  in  the  full  enjoyment 
of  his  relationship  as  a  child,  yet  perfectly  unable  to 
comprehend -a  word  I  say;  another  may  exhibit  uncom- 
mon intelligence  in  conversation,  yet  not  be  a  whit  hap- 
pier in  his  relationship  than  the  infant  on  my  knee. 
But  when  it  becomes  a  question  of  service  for  me,  or 
public  identification  with  me,  it  is  evidently  quite 
another  thing.     This  is  but  a  feeble  illustration  of  the 


CHAPTER    XV.  167 

idea  of  capacity  in  the  Father's   house,  and   assigned 
position  in  the  kingdom  of  the  Son. 

But  let  it  be  remembered  that  our  suffering  with 
Christ  is  not  a  yoke  of  bondage,  but  a  matter  of  pri- 
vilege ;  not  an  iron  rule,  but  a  gracious  gift ;  not  con- 
strained servitude,  but  voluntary  devotedness.  "  Unto 
you  it  is  given,  in  the  behalf  of  Christ,  not  only  to  be- 
lieve on  him,  but  also  to  suffer  for  his  sake."  (Phil.  i. 
29.)  Moreover,  there  can  be  little  doubt  but  that  the 
real  secret  of  suffering  for  Christ  is  to  have  the  heart's 
affections  centred  in  him.  The  more  I  love  Jesus,  the 
closer  I  shall  walk  with  him,  and  the  closer  I  walk 
with  him,  the  more  faithfully  I  shall  imitate  him,  and 
the  more  faithfully  I  imitate  him,  the  more  I  shall 
suffer  with  him.  Thus  it  all  flows  from  love  to  Christ ; 
and  then  it  is  a  fundamental  truth  that  "  we  love  him 
because  he  first  loved  us."  In  this,  as  in  every  thing 
else,  let  us  beware  of  a  legal  spirit ;  for  it  must  not  be 
imagined  that  a  man,  with  the  yoke  of  legality  round 
his  neck,  is  suffering  for  Christ ;  alas  !  it  is  much  to  be 
feared  that  such  an  one  does  not  know  Christ ;  does 
not  know  the  blessedness  of  sonship ;  has  not  yet  been 
established  in  grace;' is  rather  seeking  to  reach  the 
family  by  works  of  law,  than  to  reach  the  kingdom  by 
the  path  of  suffering. 

On  the  other  hand,  let  us  see  that  we  are  not  shrink 
ing  from  our  Master's  cup  and  baptism.  Let  us  not 
profess  to  enjoy  the  benefits  which  his  cross  secures, 
while  we  refuse  the  rejection  which  that  cross  involves. 
We  may  rest  assured  that  the  road  to  the  kingdom  is 
not  enlightened  by  the  sunshine  of  this  world's  favor, 
nor  strewed   with   the   roses   of  its  prosperity.     If  a 


168  •  GENESIS. 

Christian  is  advancing  in  the  world,  he  has  much  reason 
to  apprehend  that  he  is  not  walking  in  company  with 
Christ.  "  If  any  man  serve  me,  let  him  follow  me ;  and 
where  I  am,  there  shall  also  my  servant  be."  What  was 
the  goal  of  Christ's  earthly  career  ?  Was  it  an  elevated, 
influential  position  in  this  world  ?  By  no  means.  W  hat 
then  ?  He  found  his  place  on  the  cross,  between  two 
condemned  malefactors.  "But,"  it  will  be  said,  ''God 
was  in  this."  True  ;  yet  man  was  in  it  likewise  :  and 
this  latter  truth  is  what  must  inevitably  secure  our  re- 
jection by  the  world,  if  only  we  keep  in  company  with 
Christ.  The  companionship  of  Christ,  which  lets  me 
into  heaven,  casts  me  out  of  earth ;  and  to  talk  of  the 
former,  while  I  am  ignorant  of  the  latter,  proves  there 
is  something  wrong.  If  Christ  were  on  earth,  now, 
what  would  his  path  be  ?  Whither  would  it  tend  ? 
Where  would  it  terminate  ? "  Would  we  like  to  walk 
with  him  ?  Let  us  answer  these  inquiries  under  the 
edge  of  the  word,  and  under  the  eye  of  the  Almighty ; 
and  may  the  Holy  Ghost  make  us  faithful  to  an  absent, 
a  rejected,  a  crucified  Master.  The  man  who  walks 
in  the  Spirit  will  be  filled  with  Christ;  and,  being  filled 
with  him,  he  will  not  be  occupied  with  suffering,  but 
with  him  for  whom  he  suffers.  If  the  eye  is  fixed  on 
Christ,  the  suffering  will  be  as  nothing  in  comparison 
with  the  present  joy  and  future  glory. 

The  subject  of  heirship  has  led  me  much  further 
than  I  intended  ;  but  I  do  not  regret  it,  as  it  is  of  con- 
siderable importance.  Let  us  now  briefly  glance  at  the 
deeply  significant  vision  of  Abraham  as  set  forth  in 
the  closing  verses  of  our  chapter.  "  And  whe7i  the  sun 
was  going  down,  a  deep  sleep  fell  upon  Abram  ;  and,  lo, 


CHAPTER  XV.  .  169 

an  horror  of  great  darkness  fell  upon  him.  And  he 
said  unto  Abram,  Know  of  a  surety,  that  thy  seed  shall 
be  a  stranger  in  a  land  that  is  not  theirs,  and  shall 
serve  them ;  and  they  shall  afflict  them  four  hundred 
years  :  and  also  that  nation,  whom  they  shall  serve,  will 
I  judge  :  and  afterward  shall  they  come  out  with  great 

substance And  it  came  to  pass,  that  when  the 

sun  went  down,  and  it  was  dark,  behold,  a  smoking 
furnace,  and  a  burning  lamp  that  passed  between  those 
pieces." 

The  entire  of  Israel's  history  is  summed  up  in  those 
two  figures,  the  "furnace"  and  the  "lamp."  The  for- 
mer presents  to  us  those  periods  of  their  history  in 
which  they  were  brought  into  suffering  and  trial ;  such, 
for  example,  as  the  long  period  of  Egyptian  bondage, 
their  subjection  to  the  kings  of  Canaan,  the  Babylonish 
captivity,  their  present  dispersed  and  degraded  condition. 
During  all  these  periods  they  may  be  considered  as 
passing  through  the  smoking  furnace.  (See  Deut.  iv.  20 ; 
1  Kings  viii.  51 ;  Isaiah  xlviii.  10.) 

Then,  in  the  burning  lamp,  we  have  those  points  in 
Israel's  eventful  history  at  which  Jehovah  graciously 
appeared  for  their  relief,  such  as  their  deliverance  from 
Egypt,  by  the  hand  of  Moses ;  their  deliverance  from 
under  the  power  of  the  kings  of  Canaan,  by  the  ministry 
of  the  various  judges ;  their  return  from  Babylon,  by 
the  decree  of  Cyrus ;  and  their  final  deliverance,  when 
Christ  shall  appear  in  his  glory.  The  inheritance  must 
be  reached  through  the  furnace  ;  and  the  darker  the 
smoke  of  the  furnace,  the  brighter  and  more  cheering 
will  be  the  lamp  of  God's  salvation. 

Kor  is  this  principle  confined  merely  to  the  people  of 
15 


ItO  •  GENESIS. 

God  as  a  whole ;  it  applies  just  as  fully  to  individuals. 
All  who  have  ever  reached  a  position  of  eminence  as 
servants,  have  endured  the  furnace  before  they  enjoyed 
the  lamp.  "  An  horror  of  great  darkness"  passed  across 
the  spirit  of  Abraham.  Jacob  had  to  endure  twenty- 
one  years  of  sore  hardship,  in  the  house  of  Laban. 
Joseph  found  his  furnace  of  affliction  in  the  dungeons  of 
Egypt.  Moses  spent  forty  years  in  the  desert.  Thus 
it  must  be  with  all  God's  servants.  They  must  be 
"tried"  first,  that,  being  found  "faithful,"  they  may  be 
"put  into  the  ministry."  God's  principle,  in  reference 
to  those  who  serve  him,  is  expressed  in  those  words  of 
St.  Paul,  "  not"  a  novice,  lest  being  lifted  up  with 
pride,  he  fall  into  the  condemnation  of  the  devil." 
(1  Tim.  iii.  6.) 

It  is  one  thing  to  be  a  child  of  God;  it  is  quite 
another  to  be  a  servant  of  Christ.  I  may  love  my 
child  very  much,  yet,  if  I  set  him  to  work  in  m}^  gar- 
den, he  may  do  more  harm  than  good.  Why  ?  Is  it 
because  he  is  not  a  dear  child  ?  No ;  but  because  he  is 
not  a  practised  servant.  This  makes  all  the  difference. 
Relationship  and  office  are  distinct  things.  Not  one  of 
the  Queen's  children  is  at  present  capable  of  being  her 
prime  minister.  It  is  not  that  all  God's  children  have 
not  something  to  do,  something  to  suffer,  something  to 
learn.  Undoubtedly  they  have ;  yet  it  ever  holds  good 
that  public  service  and  private  discipline  are  intimately 
connected  in  the  ways  of  God.  One  who  comes  for- 
ward much  in  public  will  need  that  chastened  spirit, 
that  matured  judgment,  that  subdued  and  mortified 
mind,  that  broken  will,  that  mellow  tone,  which  are  the 
sure  and  beautiful  result  of  God's  secret  discipline  j  and 


CHAPTER    XYI.  Itl 

it  will  generally  be  found  that  those  who  take  a 
prominent  place  without  more  or  less  of  the  above 
moral  qualifications,  will  sooner  or  later  break  down. 

Lord  Jesus,  keep  thy  feeble  servants  very  near  untc 
thine  own  most  blessed  person,  and  in  the  hollow  of 
thine  hand  ! 


OHAPTER  XYI. 

Here  we  find  unbelief  casting  its  dark  shadow  across 
the  spirit  of  Abraham,  and  again  turning  him  aside  for 
a  season  from  the  path  of  simple,  happy  confidence  in 
God.  "  And  Sarai  said  unto  Abram,  Behold  the  Lord 
hath  restrained  me  from  bearing."  These  words  bespeak 
the  usual  impatience  of  unbelief;  and  Abram  should 
have  treated  them  accordingly,  and  waited  patiently  on 
the  Lord  for  the  accomplishment  of  his  gracious 
promise.  The  poor  heart  naturally  prefers  any  thing  to 
the  attitude  of  waiting.  It  will  turn  to  any  expedient, 
any  scheme,  any  resource,  rather  than  be  kept  in 
that  posture.  It  is  one  thing  to  believe  a  promise  at 
the  first,  and  quite  another  thing  to  wait  quietly  for  the 
accomplishment  thereof.  We  can  see  this  distinction 
constantly  exemplified  in  a  child.  If  I  promise  my 
child  any  thing,  he  has  no  idea  of  doubting  my  word ; 
but  yet,  I  can  detect  the  greatest  possible  restlessness 
and  impatience  in  reference  to  the  time  and  manner  of 
accomplishment.  And  cannot  the  wisest  sage  find,  a 
true  mirror  in  which  to  see  himself  reflected  in  the  con- 


172  GENESIS. 

duct  of  a  child  ?  Truly  so.  Abraham  exhibits  faith, 
in  Chapter  xv.  and  yet  he  fails  in  patience  in  Chapter 
xvi.  Hence  the  force  and  beauty  of  the  apostle's  word, 
in  Hebrews  vi.  "  followers  of  them  who  through  faith 
and  patience  inherit  the  promises."  God  makes  a 
promise:  faith  believes  it ;  hope  anticipa-tes  it;  patience 
waits  quietly  for  it. 

There  is  such  a  thing  in  the  commercial  world  as 
"  the  present  worth"  of  a  bill  or  promissory  note  ;  for  if 
men  are  called  upon  to  wait  for  their  money,  they  must 
be  paid  for  waiting.  Now,  in  faith's  world,  there  is 
such  a  thing  as  the  present  worth  of  God's  promise ;  and 
the  scale  by  which  that  worth  is  regulated  is  the 
heart's  experimental  knowledge  of  God ;  for  according 
to  my  estimate  of  God,  will  be  my  estimate  of  his 
promise  ;  and  moreover,  the  subdued  and  patient  spirit 
finds  its  rich  and  full  reward  in  waiting  upon  him  for 
the  accomplishment  of  all  that  he  has  promised. 

However,  as  to  Sarah,  the  real  amount  of  her  word  to 
Abraham  is  this,  "  The  Lord  has  failed  me  ;  it  may  be, 
my  Egyptian  maid  will  prove  a  resource  for  me."  Any 
thing  but  God  for  a  heart  under  the  influence  of  unbelief. 
It  is  often  truly  marvellous  to  observe  the  trifles  to 
which  we  will  betake  ourselves  when  once  we  have 
lost  the  sense  of  God's  nearness,  his  infallible  faithful- 
ness, and  unfailing  sufficiency.  We  lose  that  calm  and 
well-balanced  condition  of  soul  so  essential  to  the 
proper  testimony  of  the  man  of  faith ;  and,  just  like 
other  people,  betake  ourselves  to  any  or  every  expedient, 
m  order  to  reach  the  wished-for  end,  and  call  that  "  a 
laudable  use  of  means." 

But  it  is  a  bitter  thing  to  take  ourselves  out  of  the 


CHAPTER   XVT.  173 

place  of  absolute  dependence  upon  God.  The  conse- 
quences must  be  disastrous.  Had  Sarah  said,  "  Nature 
has  failed  me,  but  God  is  my  resource,"  how  different  it 
would  have  been  !  This  would  have  been  her  proper 
ground ;  for  nature  really  had  failed  her.  But  then  it 
was  nature  in  one  shape,  and  therefore  she  wished  to 
try  nature  in  another.  She  had  not  learnt  to  look  away 
from  nature  in  every  shape.  In  the  judgment  of  God 
and  of  faith,  nature  in  Hagar  was  no  better  than  nature 
in  Sarah.  Xature,  whether  young  or  old,  is  alike  to 
God ;  and,  therefore,  alike  to  faith ;  but,  ah  !  we  are  only 
in  the  power  of  this  truth  when  we  are  experimentally 
finding  our  living  centre  in  God  himself.  When  the 
eye  is  taken  off  that  glorious  Being,  we  are  ready  for 
the  meanest  device  of  unbelief  It  is  only  when  we  are 
consciously  leaning  on  the  only  true,  the  only  wise,  the 
living  God,  that  we  are  enabled  to  look  away  from  every 
creature  stream.  It  is  not  that  we  shall  despise  God's 
instrumentality.  By  no  means.  To  do  so  would  be 
recklessness  and  not  faith.  Faith  values  the  instru- 
ment, not  because  of  itself,  but  because  of  him  who 
uses  it.  Unbelief  looks  only  at  the  instrument,  and 
judges  of  the  success  of  a  matter  by  the  apparent 
efficiency  thereof,  instead  of  by  the  sufficiency  of  him 
who,  in  grace,  uses  it.  Like  Saul,  who,  when  he  looked 
at  David,  and  then  looked  at  the  Philistine,  said,  "  Thou 
art  not  able  to  go  against  this  Philistine  to  fight  with 
him;  for  thou  art  but  a  youth."  Yet  the  question  in 
David's  heart  was,  not  as  to  whether  he  was  a))le,  but 
whether  Jehovah  was  able. 

The  path  of  faith  is  a  very  simple  and  a  very  nar- 
row one.     It  neither  deifies  the  means  on  the  one  hand, 


It4  GENESIS. 

nor  despises  it  on  the  other.  It  simply  values  it,  so  far 
as  it  is  evidently  God's  means,  and  no  further.  There 
is  a  vast  difference  between  God's  using  the  creature  to 
minister  to  me,  and  my  using  it  to  shut  him  out. 
This  difference  is  not  sufficiently  attended  to.  God  used 
the  ravens  to  minister  to  Elijah,  but  Elijah  did  not  use 
them  to  exclude  God.  If  the  heart  be  really  trusting 
in  God,  it  will  not  trouble  itself  about  his  means.  It 
waits  on  him,  in  the  sweet  assurance  that  by  what 
means  soever  he  pleases,  he  will  bless,  he  will  minister, 
he  will  provide. 

Now,  in  the  case  before  us,  in  this  chapter,  it  is 
evident  that  Hagar  was  not  God's  instrument  for  the 
accomplishment  of  his  promise  to  Abraham.  He  had 
promised  a  son,  no  doubt,  but  he  had  not  said  that  this 
son  should  be  Hagar 's ;  and,  in  point  of  fact,  we  find 
from  the  narrative,  that  both  Abraham  and"  Sarah 
*'  multiplied  their  sorrow,"  by  having  recourse  to 
Hagar;  for  ''when  she  saw  that  she  had  conceived, 
her  mistress  was  despised  in  her  eyes."  This  was  but 
the  beginning  of  those  multiplied  sorrows  which  flowed 
from  hastening  after  nature's  resources.  Sarah's  dig- 
nity was  trampled  down  by  an  Egyptian  bond-woman, 
and  she  found  herself  in  the  place  of  weakness  and 
contempt.  The  only  true  place  of  dignity  and  power 
is  the  place  of  felt  weakness  and  dependence.  There 
is  no  one  so  entirely  independent  of  all  around  as 
the  man  who  is  really  walking  by  faith,  and  waiting 
only  upon  God ;  but  the  moment  a  child  of  God 
makes  himself  a  debtor  to  nature  or  the  world,  he 
loses  his  dignity,  and  will  speedily  be  made  to  feel  his 
loss.     It  is  no  easy  task  to  estimate  the  loss  sustained 


CHAPTER   XVT.  175 

by  diverging,  in  the  smallest  measure,  from  the  path  of 
faith.  No  doubt,  all  those  who  walk  In  that  path  will 
find  trial  and  exercise  ;  but  one  thing  is  certain,  that 
the  blessings  and  joys  which  peculiarly  belong  to  them 
are  infinitely  more  than  a  counterpoise  ;  whereas,  when 
they  turn  aside,  they  have  to  encounter  far  deeper  trial, 
and  naught  but  that. 

"And  Sarai  said,  My  wrong  be  upon  thee.''^  When 
we  act  wrong,  we  are  ofttimes  prone  to  lay  the  blame 
on  some  one  else.  Sarah  was  only  reaping  the  fruit  of 
her  own  proposal,  and  yet  she  says  to  Abraham,  "  My 
wrong  be  upon  thee  ;"  and  then,  with  Abraham's  per- 
mission, she  seeks  to  get  rid  of  the  trial  which  her  own 
impatience  had  brought  upon  her.  "  But  Abram  said 
unto  Sarai,  Behold  thy  maid  is  in  thy  hand  ;  do  to  her 
as  it  pleaseth  thee.  And  when  Sarai  dealt  hardly  with 
her,  she  fled  from  her  face."  This  will  not  do.  "  The 
bond-woman "  cannot  be  got  rid  of  by  hard  treatment. 
When  we  make  mistakes,  and  find  ourselves  called  upon 
to  encounter  the  results  thereof,  we  cannot  counteract 
those  results  by  carrying  ourselves  with  a  high  hand. 
We  frequently  try  this  method,  but  we  are  sure  to  make 
matters  worse  thereby.  If  we  have'  done  wrong,  we 
should  humble  ourselves  and  confess  the  wrong,  and 
wait  on  God  for  deliverance.  But  there  was  nothing 
like  this  manifested  in  Sarah's  case.  Quite  the  reverse. 
There  is  no  sense  of  having  done  wrong  ;  and,  so  far 
from  waiting  on  God  for  deliverance,  she  seeks  to  de- 
liver herself  in  her  own  way.  •  However,  it  will  always 
be  found  that  every  effort  which  we  make  to  rectify  our 
errors,  previous  to  the  full  confession  thereof,  only  tends 
to  render  our  path  more  difficult.     Thus  Hagar  had  to 


116  GENESIS. 

return,  and  give  birth  to  her  son,  which  son  proved  to 
be  not  the  child  of  promise  at  all,  but  a  very  great 
trial  to  Abraham  and  his  house,  as  we  shall  see  in  the 
sequel. 

Now,  we  should  view  all  this  in  a  double  aspect ; 
first,  as  teaching  us  a  direct  practical  principle  of  much 
value  ;  and  secondly,  in  a  doctrinal  point  of  view.  And, 
first,  as  to  the  direct,  practical  teaching,  we  may  learn 
that  when,  through  the  unbelief  of  our  hearts,  we  make 
mistakes,  it  is  not  all  in  a  moment,  nor  yet  by  our  own 
devices,  we  can  remedy  them.  Things  must  take  their 
course.  "  Whatsoever  a  man  soweth  that  shall  he  also 
reap.  For  he  that  soweth  to  his  flesh  shall  of  the  flesh 
reap  corruption  ;  but  he  that  soweth  to  the  Spirit,  shall 
of  the  Spirit  reap  life  everlasting."  This  is  an  unalter- 
able principle,  meeting  us  again  and  again  on  the  page 
of  inspiration,  and  also  on  the  page  of  our  personal 
history.  Grace  forgives  the  sin  and  restores  the  soul, 
but  that. which  is  sown  must  be  reaped.  Abraham  and 
Sarah  had  to  endure  the  presence  of  the  bond- woman 
and  her  son  for  a  number  of  years,  and  then  get  rid  of 
them  in  God's  way.  There  is  peculiar  blessedness  in 
leaving  ourselves  •  in  God's  hands.  Had  Abraham  and 
Sarah  done  so  on  the  present  occasion,  they  would  never 
have  been  troubled  with  the  presence  of  the  bond-woman 
and  her  son ;  but,  having  made  themselves  debtors  to 
nature,  they  had  to  endure  the  consequences.  But/ 
alas  I  we  are  often  "  like  a  bullock  unaccustomed  to  the 
yoke,"  when  it  would  be  our  exceeding  comfort  to 
"  behave  and  quiet  ourselves  as  a  child  that  is  weaned 
of  his  mother."  No  two  figures  can  be  more  opposite 
than   a   stubborn   bullock   and   a  weaned   child.     The 


CHAPTER    XVI.  ITT 

former  represents  a  person  senselessly  struggling  under 
the  yoke  of  circumstances,  and  rendering  his  yoke  all 
the  more  galling  by  his  efforts  to  get  rid  of  it ;  the 
latter  represents  one  meekly  howing  his  head  to  every 
thing,  and  rendering  his  portion  all  the  sweeter  by  en- 
tire subjection  of  spirit. 

And  now,  as  to  the  doctrinal  view  of  this  chapter. 
We  are  authorized  to  look  at  Hagar  and  her  son,  as 
figures  of  the  covenant  of  works,  and  all  who  are  thereby 
brought  into  bondage.  (See  Gal.  iv.  22-25.)  *' The 
flesh  "  is,  in  this  important  passage,  contrasted  with 
*'  promise  ;"  and  thus  we  not  only  get  the  divine  idea  as 
to  what  the  term  "flesh"  implies,' but  also  as  to  Abra- 
ham's effort  to  obtain  the  seed  by  means  of  Hagar, 
instead  of  resting  in  God's  ''promise."  The  two  cove- 
nants are  allegorized  by  Hagar  and  Sarah,  and  are 
diametrically  opposite  the  one  to  the  other.  The  one 
gendering  to  bondage,  inasmuch  as  it  raised  the  ques- 
tion as  to  man's  competency  "to  do"  and  "not  to  do," 
and  made  life  entirely  dependent  upon  that  competency. 
"The  man  that  doeth  these  things  shall  live  in  them." 
This  was  the  Hagar-covenant.  But  the  Sarah- covenant 
reveals  God  as  the  God  of  promise,  which  promise  is 
entirely  independent  of  man,  and  founded  upon  God's 
willingness  and  ability  to  fulfil  it.  When  God  makes  a 
promise  there  is  no  "if"  attached  thereto.  He  make§ 
it  unconditionally,  and  is  resolved  to  fulfil  it ;  and  faith 
rests  in  him  in  perfect  liberty  of  heart.  It  needs  no 
effort  of  nature  to  reach  the  accomplishment  of  a  divine 
])romise.  Here  was,  precisely,  where  Abraham  and 
Sarah  failed.  They  made  an  effort  of  nature  to  reach 
a  certain  end,  which  end  was  absolutely  secured  by  a 

M 


118  GENESIS. 

promise  of  God.  This  is  the  grand  mistake  of  unbelief. 
By  its  restless  activity,  it  raises  a  hazy  mist  around  the 
soul,  which  hinders  the  beams  of  the  divine  glory  from 
reaching  it.  ''  He  could  there  do  no  mighty  works, 
because  of  their  unbelief."  One  great  characteristic 
virtue  of  faith  is,  that  it  ever  leaves  the  platform  clear 
for  God  to  show  himself ;  and  truly,  when  he  shows 
himself,  man  must  take  the  place  af  a  happy  wor- 
shipper. 

The  error  into  which  the  Galatians  allowed  themselves 
to  be  drawn,  was  the  addition  of  something  of  nature 
to  what  Christ  had  already  accompKshed  for  them  by 
the  cross.  The  gospel  which  had  been  preached  to  them 
and  which  they  had  received,  was  the  simple  presentation 
of  God's  absolute,  unqualified,  and  unconditional,  grace. 
"  Jesus  Christ  had  been  evidently  set  forth  crucified 
among  them."  This  was  not  merely  promise  divinely 
made,  but  promise  divinely  and  most  gloriously  accom- 
plished. A  crucified  Christ  settled  every  thing  in  refer- 
ence both  to  God's  claims  and  man's  necessities.  But 
the  false  teachers  upset  all  this,  or  sought  to  upset  it, 
by  saying,  ^'  Except  ye  be  circumcised  after  the  manner 
of  Moses,  ye  cannot  be  saved."  This,  as  the  apostle 
teaches  them,  was  in  reality  "making  Christ  of  none 
effect."  Christ  must  either  be  a  ivhole  Saviour,  or  no 
Saviour  at  all.  The  moment  a  man  says,  "  Except  lye 
Toe  this  or  that,  ye  cannot  be  saved,"  he  totally  subverts 
Christianity ;  for  ~  in  Christianity  I  find  God  coming 
down  to  me  just  as  I  am,  a  lost,  guilty,  self-destroyed 
sinner ;  and  coming  moreover  with  a  full  remission  of 
all  my  sins,  and  a  full  salvation  from  my  lost  estate,  all 
perfectly  wrought  by  himself  on  the  cross. 


CHAPTERS     XVI.  1T9 

Hence,  therefore,  a  man  who  tells  me,  "  You  must  be 
so  and  so,  in  order  to  be  saved,"  robs  the  cross  of  all  its 
glory,  and  robs  me  of  all  my  peace.  If  salvation 
depends  upon  our  being  or  doing  aught,  we  shall 
inevitably  be  lost.  Thank  God  it  does  not ;  for  the 
great  fundamental  principle  of  the  gospel  is,  that  God 
is  ALL, — man  is  NOTHING.  It  is  not  a  mixture  of 
God  and  man.  It  is  all  of  God.  The  peace  of  the 
gospel  does  not  repose  in  part  on  Christ's  work,  and 
in  part  on  man's  work ;  it  reposes  wholly  on  Christ's 
work,  because  that  work  is  perfect, — perfect  forever  ; 
and  it  renders  all  who  put  their  trust  in  it  as  perfect  as 
itself. 

Under  the  law,  God  as  it  were  stood  still  to  see 
what  man  could  do ;  but  in  the  gospel  God  is  seen 
acting,  and  as  for  man,  he  has  but  to  "  stand  still  and 
see  the  salvation  of  God."  This  being  so,  the  inspired 
apostle  hesitates  not  to  say  to  the  Galatians,  "  Christ  is 
become  of  no  effect  unto  you ;  whosoever  of  you  are 
justified  by  law  (sv  vo/xu),  ye  are  fallen  from  grace." 
If  man  has  any  thing  to  do  in  the  matter,  God  is  shut 
out ;  and  if  God  is  shut  out,  there  can  be  no  salvation, 
for  it  is  impossible  that  man  can  work  out  a  salvation 
by  that  which  proves  him  a  lost  creature  ;  and  then  if 
it  be  a  question  of  grace,  it  must  be  all  grace.  It 
cannot  be  half  grace,  half  law.  The  two  covenants  are 
perfectly  distinct.  It  cannot  be  half  Sarah  and  half 
Hagar.  It  must  be  either  the  one  or  the  other.  If  it 
be  Hagar,  God  has  nothing  to  do  with  it;  and  if  it  be 
Sarah,  man  has  nothing,  to  do  with  it.  Thus  it  stands 
throughout.  The  law  addresses  man,  tests  him,  sees 
what  he  is  really  worth,  proves  him  a  ruin,  and'  puts 


180  GENESIS. 

him  under  the  curse  ;  and  not  only  puts  him  under  it, 
but  keeps  him  there  so  long  as  he  is  occupied  with  it, — 
so  long  as  he  is  alive.  "  The  law  hath  dominion  over 
a  man  so  long  as  he  liveth  ;"  but  when  he  is  dead,  its 
dominion  necessarily  ceases  so  far  as  he  is  concerned, 
though  it  still  remains  in  full  force  to  curse  every  living 
man. 

The  gospel,  on  the  contrary,  assuming  man  to  be  lost, 
ruined,  dead,  reveals  God  as  he  is, — the  Saviour  of  the 
lost, — the  Pardoner  of  the  guilty, — the  Quickener  of  the 
dead.  It  reveals  him,  not  as  exacting  aught  from  man, 
(for  what  could  be  expected  from  one  who  has  died  a 
bankrupt  ?)  but  as  exhibiting  his  own  independent 
grace  in  redemption.  This  makes  a  material  difference 
and  will  account  for  the  extraordinary  strength  of  the 
language  employed  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Galatians  :  "  I 
marvel" — "Who  hatli  bewitched  you?" — "I  am  afraid 
of  you" — "I  stand  in  doubt  of  you" — "  I  would  they 
were  even  cut  off  that  trouble  you."  This  is  the 
language  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  who  knows  the  value  of 
a  full  Christ  and  a  full  salvation ;  and  who  also  knows 
how  essential  the  knowledge  of  both  is  to  a  lost  sinner. 
We  have  no  such  language  as  this  in  any  other  epistle  ; 
not  even  in  that  to  the  Corinthians,  although  there  were 
some  of  the  grossest  disorders  to  be  corrected  amongst 
them.  All  human  failure  and  error  can  be  corrected  by 
bringing  in  God's  grace ;  but  the  Galatians,  like  Abra- 
ham in  this  chapter,  were  going  away  from  God,  and 
returning  to  the  flesh.  What  remedy  could  be  devised 
for  this  ?  How  can  you  correct  an  error  which  consists 
in  departing  from  that  which  alone  can  correct  any  thing  ? 
To  fall  from  grace,  is  to  get  back  under  the  law,  from 


CHAPTER    XYH.  181 

which  nothmg  can  ever  be  reaped  but  "the  curse. '^ 
May  the  Lord  establish  our  hearts  in  his  own  most 
excellent  grace  I 


CHAPTER  XYIL 

Here  we  have  God's  remedy  for  Abraham's  failure 
set  before  us.  "And  when  Abram  was  ninety  years 
old  and  nine,  the  Lord  appeared  unto  Abram,  and  said 
unto  him,  /  am  the  Almighty  God:  walk  before  me, 
and  be  thou  perfect.^^"^     This  m  a  most  comprehensive 

*  I  would  here  oflfer  a  remark  as  to  the  word  "perfect."  When 
Abraham  was  called  upon  to  be  "perfect,"  it  did  not  mean  perfect 
in  himself;  for  this  he  cerer  was,  and  never  could  be.  It  simply 
meant  that  he  should  be  perfect  as  regards  the  object  before  his 
heart, — that  his  hopes  and  expectations  were  to  be  perfectly  and 
undivide-dly  centred  in  the  "Almighty  God." 

In  looking  through  the  New  Testament,  we  find  the  word 
**  perfect "  used  in  at  least  four  distinct  senses.  In  Matt.  v.  48, 
we  read,  "  Be  ye  therefore  per/ecty  even  as  your  Father  which  is 
in  heaven  is  perfect."  Here  we  learn  from  the  context  that  the 
word   "perfect"  refers   to  the  principle  of  our  walk.     At  verse  44, 

we   read,   "love  your   enemies, that  ye  may  be  the   sons 

of  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven;  for  he  maketh  the  sun  to  rise 
upon  the  evil  and  the  good,  and  sendeth  rain  upon  the  just  and 
the  unjust."  Hence  to  be  "perfect"  in  the  sense  of  Matt.  v.  48 
is  to  act  on  a  principle  of  grace  toward  all,  even  toward  those 
who  are  injurious  and  hostile.  A  Christian  going  to  law,  and 
asserting  or  contending  for  his  rights,  is  not  '/perfect  as  his 
Father  ;"  for  his  Father  is  dealing  in  grace,  whereas  he  is  dealing  in 
righteousness. 

The  question  here  is  not  as  to  the  right  or  wrong  of  going  to 
law  with  worldly  people  (as  to  brethren,  1  Cor.  vi.  is  conclusive). 
All  I   contend    for    is,   that   a    Christian    so  doing  is  acting   in  a 

16 


18S  GENESIS.  - 

verse.  It  is  very  evident  that  Abraham  had  not  been 
walking  before  the  Almighty  God  when  he  adopted 
Sarah's  expedient  in  reference  to  Hagar.  It  is  faith 
alone  that  can  enable  a  man  to  walk  up  and  down 
before  an  Almighty  One.  Unbelief  will  ever  be  thrust- 
ing in  something  of  self,  something  of  circumstances, 
second  causes,  and  the  like,  and  thus  the  soul  is  robbed 

character  the  direct  opposite  to  that  of  his  Father;  for  assuredly 
he  is  not  going  to  law  with  the  world.  He  is  not  now  on  a 
judgment-seat,  but  on  a  mercy-seat — a  throne  'of  grace.  lie 
showers  his  blessings  upon  those  who,  were  he  to  go  to  law  with 
them,  should  be  in  hell.  Wherefore  it  is  plain  that  a  Christian, 
•when  he  brings  a  man  before  the  judgment-seat,  is  not  "perfect  as 
his  Father  which  is  in  heaven  is  perfect." 

At  the  close  of  Matt,  xviii.  we  have  a  parable  which  teaches 
us  that  a  man  who  asserts  his  rights  is  ignorant  of  the  true 
character  and  proper  effect  of  grace.  The  servant  was  not  tm- 
righteoua  in  demanding,  what  was  due  to  him ;  but  he  was  un- 
gracious. He  was  totally  unlike  his  master.  He  had  been  for- 
given ten  thousand  talents,  and  yet  he  could  seize  his  fellow  by 
the  throat  for  a  paltry  hundred  pence.  What  was  the.  conse- 
quence ?  He  was  delivered  to  the  tormentors.  He  lost  the 
happy  sense  of  grace,  and  was  left  to  reap  the  bitter  fruits  of 
having  asserted  his  rights,  while  being  himself  a  subject  of  gi-ice. 
And,  observe  further,  he  was  called  "  a  loiehed  servant,"  not 
because  of  having  owed  "  ten  thousand  talents,"  but  because  of 
not  having  forgiven  the  "hundred  pence."  The  muster  had 
ample  grace  to  settle  the  former,  but  he  had  not  grace  to  settle 
the  latter.  This  parable  has  a  solemn  voice  for  all  Christians 
going  to  law ;  for  although  in  the  application  of  it,  it  is  snid, 
"  so  shall  my  heavenly  Father  do  to  you,  if  you  from  your  heart, 
forgive  not  every  one  hia  brother  their  trespasses,"  yet  is  the 
principle  of  general  application,  that  a  man  acting  in  righteousness 
will  lose  the  sense  of  grace. 

In  Hebrews  ix.  we  have  another  sense  of  the  term  "  perfect." 
Here,  too,  the  context  settles  the  import  of  the  word.  It  is 
"perfect,  as  pertaining  to  the  conscience."  This  is  a  deeply  import- 
ant use  of  the   term.     The  worshipper  under   the   law  never  could 


CHAPTER  xvn.  183 

of  the  joy  and  peace,  the  calm  elevation,  and  holy  in- 
dependence, which  flow  from  leaning  upon  the  arm  of 
One  who  can  do  every  thing.  I  believe  we  deeply  need 
to  ponder  this.  God  is  not  such  an  abiding  reality  to 
our  souls  as  he  ought  to  be,  or  as  he  would  be,  w^ere 
we  walking  in  more  simple  faith  and  dependence. 

''Walk  before  me."     This  is  true  power.     To  walk 

have  a  perfect  conscience,  for  the  simplest  reason  possible,  because 
he  never  had  a  perfect  sacrifice.  The  blood  of  a  bullock  and  a 
goat  did  well  enough  for  a  time,  but  it  could  not  do  forever, 
and  therefore  could  not  give  a  perfect  conscience.  Now,  how- 
ever, the  weakest  believer  in  Jesus  is  privileged  to  have  a  perfect 
conscience.  Why  ?  Is  it  because  he  is  a  hetter  man  than  the 
worshipper  under  the  law?  Nay;  but  because  he  has  gotten  a 
better  sacrifice.  If  Christ's  sacrifice  is  perfect  forever,  the  believer's 
conscience  is  perfect  forever.  The  two  things  necessarily  go 
together.  For  the  Christian  not  to  have  a  perfect  conscience  is  a 
dishonor  to  the  sacrifice  of  Christ.  It  is  tantamount  to  saying 
that  his  sacrifice  is  only  temporary,  and  not  eternal  in  its  effect; 
and  what  is  this  but  to  bring  it  down  to  the  level  of  the  sacrifices 
under  the  Mosaic  economy. 

It  is  very  needful  to  distinguish  between  perfectioa  in  the 
flesh  and  perfection  as  to  conscience.  To  pretend  to  the  former, 
is  to  exalt  self;  to  refuse  the  latter,  is  to  dishonor  Christ.  The 
babe  in  Christ  should  have  a  perfect  conscience ;  whereas  St.  Paul 
had  not,  nor  could  have,  perfect  flesh.  The  flesh  is  not  presented 
in  the  word  as  a  thing  which  is  to  be  perfected,  but  as  a  thing 
•which  has  been  crucified.  This  makes  a  wide  difference.  The 
Christian  has  sin  in  him,  but  not  on  him.  Why?  Because  Christ 
who  had  no  sin  in  him,  ever,  had  sin  on  him  when  he  was  nailed 
to  the  cross. 

Finally,  in  Phil.  iii.  we  have  two  other  senses  of  the  word 
"perfect."  The  apostle  says,  "not  as  though  I  had  alresidy 
attained,  either  were  already  perfect ;"  and  yet  a  little  farther  on  he 
says,  "  Let  as  many  as  be  perfect  be  thus  minded."  The  former 
refers  to  the  apostle's  full  and  everlasting  conformity  to  Christ  in 
glory.  The  latter  refers  to  our  having  Christ  as  the  all-engrossing 
object  before  the  heart's  affections. 


184  GENESIS. 

thus,  implies  our  having  nothing  whatever  before  our 
hearts  save  God  himself.  If  I  am  founding  my  ex- 
pectation upon  men  and  things,  I  am  not  walking  be- 
fore God,  but  before  men  and  things.  It  is  of  the 
utmost  importance  to  ascertain  who  or  what  I  have 
before  me  as  an  object.  To  what  am  I  looking  ?  On 
whom  or  what  am  I  leaning,  at  this  moment  ?  Does 
God  entirely  fill  my  future  ?  Have  men  or  circum- 
stances aught  to  do  therein  ?  Is  there  any  space  allotted 
to  the  creature  ?  The  only  way  in  which  to  get  above 
the  world  is  to  walk  by  faith,  because  faith  so  com- 
pletely fills  the  scene  with  God,  that  there  is  no  room 
for  the  creature, — no  room  for  the  world.  If  God  fills 
up  my  entire  range  of  vision,  I  can  see  nothing  else; 
and  then  I  am  able  to  say  with  the  Psalmist,  "  My  soul, 
wait  thou  only  upon  God ;  for  my  expectation  is  from 
him.  He  only  is  my  rock  and  my  salvation  :  he  is  my 
defence,  I  shall  not  be  moved."  (Ps.  Ixii.  5,  6.)  This 
word  "  only"  is  deeply  searching.  Nature  cannot  say 
this.  Not  that  it  will,  save  when  under  the  direct 
influence  of  a  daring  and  blasphemous  skepticism, 
formally  shut  out  God  altogether ;  but  it,  assuredly, 
cannot  say,  ''He  only.^^ 

Now,  it  is  well  to  see  that,  as  in  the  matter  of  salva- 
tion, so  in  all  the  details  of  actual  life,  from  day  to  day, 
God  will  not  share  his  glory  with  the  creature.  From 
first  to  last,  it  must  be  "he  only;"  and  this,  too,  in 
reality.  It  will  not  do  to  have  the  language  of  depend- 
ence upon  God  on  our  lips,  wliile  our  hearts  are  really 
leaning  on  some  creature  resource.  God  will  make  all 
this  fully  manifest ;  he  will  test  the  heart ;  he  will 
put  faith  into  the  furnace.     "  Walk  before  me,  and  be 


CHAPTER  xvn.  185 

thou  perfect."  Thus  it  is  we  reach  the  proper  point. 
When  the  soul  is  enabled,  by  grace,  to  get  rid  of  all  its 
fondly-cherished  creature  expectations,  then,  and  only 
then,  it  is  prepared  to  let  God  act ;  and  when  he  acts 
all  must  be  well.  He  will  not  leave  any  thing  undone. 
He  will  perfectly  settle  every  thiixg  on  behalf  of  those 
who  simply  put  their  trust  in  him.  When  unerring 
wisdom,  omnipotent  power,  and  infinite  love  combine, 
the  confiding  heart  may  enjoy  unruffled  repose.  Un- 
less we  can  find  some  circumstance  too  big  or  too  little 
for  "the  Almighty  God,"  we  have  no  proper  base  on 
which  to  found  a  single  anxious  thought.  This  is  an 
amazing  truth,  and  one  eminently  calculated  to  put  all 
who  believe  it  into  the  blessed  position  in  which  we 
find  Abraham  in  this  chapter.  Vfhen  God  had,  in 
effect,  said  to  him,  "  Leave  all  to  me  and  I  will  settle  it 
for  you,  beyond  your  utmost  desires  and  expectations ; 
the  seed  and  the  inheritance,  and  every  thing  pertaining 
thereto,  will  be  fully  and  everlastingl}' settled,  according 
to  the  covenant  of  the  Almighty  God," — then  ''Abram 
fell  on  his  face y  Truly  blessed  attitude  !  the  only  pro- 
per one  for  a  thoroughly  empty,  feeble,  and  unprofitable 
sinner  -to  occupy  in  the  presence  of  the  living  God,  the 
Creator  of  heaven  and  earth,  the  possessor  of  all  things, 
^'the  Almighty  God." 

"And  God  talked  with  him."  It  is  when  man  is  in 
the  dust  that  God  can  talk  to  him  in  grace.  Abra- 
ham's posture  here  is  the  beautiful  expression  of  entire 
prostration,  in  the  presence  of  God,  in  the  sense  of  utter 
weakness  and  nothingness.  And  this,  be  it  observed, 
is  the  sure  precursor  of  God's  revelation  of  himself. 
It  is  when  the  creature  is  laid  low  that  God  can  show 


1S6  GENESIS. 

himself  in  the  unclouded  effulgence  of  what  he  is. 
He  will  not  give  his  gloiy  to  another.  lie  can  reveal 
himself,  and  allovv^  man  to  worship  in  view  of  that 
revelation ;  but  until  the  sinner  takes  his  proper  place,, 
there  can  be  no  unfolding  of  the  divine  character.  How 
different  is  Abraham's  attitude  in  this  ~  and  the  pre- 
ceding chapter  !  There,  he  had  nature  before  him ;  here^ 
he  has  the  Almighty  God.  There,  he  was  an  actor ; 
here,  he  is  a  worshipper.  There,  he  was  betaking  him- 
self to  his  own  and  Sarah's  contrivance ;  here,  he  leaves 
himself  and  his  circumstances,  his  present  and  his 
future,  in  God's  hands,  and  allows  him  to  act  in  him, 
for  him,  and  through  him.  Hence,  God  can  say,  ''  I 
will  make" — "  I  will  establish" — "  I  will  give" — "  I 
will  bless."  In  a  word,  it  is  all  God  and  his  actings ; 
and  this  is  real  rest  for  the  poor  heart  that  has  learnt 
SLiif  thing  of  itself.    - 

The  covenant  of  circumcision  is  now  introduced. 
Every  member  of  the  household  of  faith  must  bear  in 
his  body  the  seal  of  that  covenant.  There  must  be  no 
exception.  ''  He  that  is  born  in  thy  house,  and  he  that 
is  bought  with  thy  money,  must  needs  be  circumcised  : 
and  my  covenant  shall  be  in  your  flesh,  for  an  ever- 
lasting covenant.  And  the  uncircumcised  man-child, 
whose  flesh  of  his  foreskin  is  not  circumcised,  that  soul 
shall  be  cut  off  from  his  people :  he  hath  broken  my 
covenant."  We  are  taught  in  Romans  iv.,  that  cir- 
cumcision was  "a  seal  of  the  righteousness  of  faith." 
"  Abraham  believed  God,  and  it  was  counted  unto  him 
for  righteousness."  Being  thus  counted  righteous,  God 
set  his  "  seal"  upon  him. 

The  seal  with  which  the  believer  is  now  sealed  is  not 


CHAPTERS  xvn.  18T 

a  mark  in  the  flesh,  but  "  that  Holy  Spirit  of  promise, 
whereby  he  is  sealed  unto  the  day  of  redemption." 
This  is  founded  upon  his  everlasting  connection  with 
Christ,  and  his  perfect  identification  with  him,  in 
death  and  resurrection  ;  as  we  read,  in  Colossians,  ''And 
ye  are  complete  in  him,  which  is  the  head  of  all  princi- 
pality and  power.  In  whom  also  ye  are  circumcised 
with  the  circumcision  made  without  hands,  in  putting 
off  the  body  of  the  sins  of  the  flesh,  by  the  circumcision 
of  Christ ;  buried  with  him  in  baptism,  wherein  also 
ye  are  risen  with  him,  through  the  faith  of  the  operation 
of  God  who  hath  raised  him  from  the  dead.  And  you, 
being  dead  in  your  sins  and  the  un circumcision  of  your 
flesh,  hath  he  quickened  together  with  him,  having  for- 
given you  all  trespasses."  This  is  a  most  glorious 
passage,  unfolding  to  us  the  true  idea  of  what  circum- 
cision was  meant  to  typify.  Every  believer  belongs  to 
"the  circumcision"  in  virtue  of  his  living  association 
with  him  who,  by  his  cross,  has  forever  abolished 
every  thing  that  stood  in  the  way  of  his  church's  per- 
fect justification.  There  was  not  a  speck  of  sin  on  the 
conscience,  nor  a  principle  of  sin  in  the  nature  of  his 
people,  for  which  Christ  was  not  judged  on  the  cross  ; 
and  they  are  now  looked  upon  as  having  died  with 
Christ,  lain  in  the  grave  with  Christ,  been  raised  with 
Christ,  perfectly  accepted  in  him, — their  sins,  their  ini- 
quities, their  transgressions,  their  enmity,  their  uncir- 
cumcision,  having  been  entirely  put  away  by  the  cross. 
The  sentence  of  death  has  been  written  on  the  flesh ;  but 
the  believer  is  in  possession  of  a  new  life,  in  union  with 
his  risen  Head  in  glory. 

The  apostle  in  the  above  passage  teaches  that  the 


188  GENESIS. 

Church  was  quickened  out  of  the  grave  of  Christ ;  and 
moreover,  that  the  forgiveness  of  all  her  trespasses  is 
as  complete,  and  as  entirely  the  work  of  God,  as  was 
the  raising  of  Christ  from  the  dead  ;  and  this  latter, 
we  know,  was  the  result  of  "  God's  mighty  power,"  or, 
as  it  may  be  rendered,  ''  according  to  the  energy  of  the 
might  of  his  power"  (Eph.  i.  19), — a  truly  wonderful 
expression,  calculated  to  set  forth  the  magnitude  and 
glory  of  redemption,  as  well  as  the  solid  basis  on  which 
it  rests. 

What  rest — perfect  rest — for  the  heart  and  conscience 
is  here  !  What  full  relief  for  the  burdened  spirit !  All 
our  sins  buried  in  the  grave  of  Christ, — not  one — even 
the  smallest — left  out !  God  did  this  for  us  !  All  that 
his  searching  eye  could  detect  in  us,  he  laid  on  the 
head  of  Christ  when  he  hung  upon  the  cross  !  He 
judged  him  there  and  then,  instead  of  judging  us,  in 
hell  forever !  Precious  fruit,  this,  of  the  admiral^le, 
the  profound,  the  eternal  counsels  of  redeeming  love  1 
And  we  are  *'  sealed,"  not  with  a  certain  mark  cut  in 
our  flesh,  but  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  entire  house- 
hold of  faith  is  sealed  thus.  Such  is  the  dignity,  the 
value,  the  changeless  efficacy  of  the  blood  of  Christ, 
that  the  Holy  Ghost — the  Third  Terson  of  the  etoiiial 
Trinity — can  take  up  his  abode  in  all  those  who  have 
put  their  trust  therein. 

And  now,  what  remains  for  those  who  know  these 
things,  save  to  "be  steadfast,  unmovable,  always 
abounding  in  the  work  of  the  Lord."  Thus  may  it  be, 
O  Lord,  through  the  grace  of  thy  Holy  Spirit  I 


CHAPTER    XTIII. 

This  chapter  affords  a  beautiful  exemplification  of  the 
results  of  an  obedient,  separated  walk.  "Behold,  I 
stand  at  the  door  and  knock  ;  if  any  man  hear  my  voice 
and  open  the  door,  I  will  come  in  to  him,  and  sup  with 
him,  and  he  with  me."  (Rev.  iii.  20.)  Again,  we  read, 
"  Jesus  answered,  and  said  unto  him,  If  a  man  love  me 
he  will  keep  my  words,  and  my  Father  will  love  Iiim, 
and  we  will  come  unto  him,  and  make  our  abode  with 
him."  (John  xiv.  23.)  From  these  passages,  taken  in 
connection  with  our  chapter,  we  learn  that  an  obedient 
soul  enjoys  a  character  of  communion  entirely  unknown 
to  one  who  moves  in  a  worldly  atmosphere. 

This  does  not  touch,  in  the  most  remote  m^ner,  the 
question  of  forgiveness  or  justification.  All  believers 
are  clothed  in  the  same  spotless  robe  of  righteousness, — 
all  stand  in  one  common  justification,  under  the  eye  of 
God.  The  one  life  flows  down  from  the  Head  in  heaven 
through  all  the  members  on  earth.  This  is  plain.  The 
doctrine,  in  reference  to  the  above  important  points,  is 
fally  established  in  the  word  ;  and  has  been,  again  and 
again,  unfolded  throug'h  the  foregoing  pages  of  this 
volume.  But  we  should  remember  that  justification  is 
one  thing,  and  the  fruit  thereof  quite  another.  To  be 
a  child  is  one  thing,  to  be  an  obedient  child  is  quite 
another,  ^ow,  a  father  loves  an  obedient  child,  and  will 
make  such  a  child  more  the  depositary  of  his  thoughts 
and  plgfns.  And  is  this  not  true,  in  reference  to  our 
heavenly    Father?      Unquestionably.     John    xiv.    23, 

189 


190  GENESIS. 

puts  this  quite  beyond  dispute  ;  and,  moreover,  it  proves 
that  for  one  to  speak  of  loving  Christ  and  not  to  "keep 
his  words,"  is  hypocrisy.  ''If  a  man  love  me,  he  will 
keep  my  words."  Hence,  if  we  are  not  keeping  Christ's 
words,  it  is  a  sure  proof  we  are  not  walking  in  the  love 
of  his  name.  Love  to  Christ  is  proved  b}^  doing  the 
things  which  he  commands,  and  not  .by  merely  saying, 
"  Lord,  Lord."  It  is  of  very  little  avail  to  say,  "  I  go, 
sir,"  while  the  heart  has  no  idea  of  going. 

However,  in  Abraham  we  see  one  who,  however  he 
may  have  failed  in  detail,  was  nevertheless  character- 
ized in  the  main  by  a  close,  simple,  and  elevated  walk 
with  God ;  and  in  the  interesting  section  of  his  history 
now  before  us,  we  find  him  in  the  enjoyment  of  three 
special  privileges,  namely,  providing  refreshment  for 
the  Lord,  enjoying  full  communion  with  the  Lord,  and 
interceding  for  others  'before  the  Lord.  These  are  high 
distinctions ;  and  yet  are  they  only  such  as  ever  result 
from  an  obedient,  separated,  holy  walk.  Obedience 
refreshes  the  Lord,  as  being  the  fruit  of  his  own  grace 
in  our  hearts.  We  see  in  the  only  perfect  man  th?^t 
ever  lived  how  he  constantly  refreshed  and  delighted 
the  Father.  Again  and  again  God  bore  testimony  to 
him  from  heaven,  as  his  ''  beloved  Son,  in  whom  he 
was  well  pleased,"  The  path  of  Christ  furnished  a  con- 
tinual feast  to  heaven.  His  ways  were  ever  sending  up 
a  fragrant  incense  to  the  throne  of  God.  From  the 
manger  to  the  cross,  he  did  always  the  things  which 
pleased  his  Father.  There  was  no  interruption,  no 
variation,  no  salient  point.  He  was  the  only  perfect 
One.  "  There  only  can  the  Spirit  trace  a  perfect  life 
below."     Here  and  there,  as  we  look  along  the  current 


CHAPTER   XVIII.  191 

of  inspiration,  we  find  one  and  another  who  occasionallj 
refreshed  the  mind  of  heaven.  Thus,  in  the  chapter 
before  us,  we  find  the  tent  of  the  stranger  at  Mamre 
affording  refreshment  to  the  Lord  himself, — refreshment 
lovingly  ofi'ered  and  willingly  accepted.    (Yer.  1-8.) 

Then  we  find  Abraham  enjoying  high  communion 
with  the  Lord,  first  in  reference  to  his  own  personal 
interests,  (ver.  9-15,)  and  secondly  in  reference  to 
the  destinies  of  Sodom.  (Yer.  16,  21.)  What  con- 
firmation to  Abraham's  heart  in  the  absolute  promise 
''  Sarah  shall  have  a  son  !"  Yet  this  promise  only 
elicited  a  laugh  from  Sarah,  as  it  had  elicited  one  from 
Abraham  in  the  preceding  chapter. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  laughter  spoken  of  in  scrip- 
ture. There  is  first  the  laughter  with  which  the  Lord 
fills  our  mouth,  when,  at  some  trying  crisis,  he  appears 
in  a  signal  manner  for  our  relief.  ''  When  the  Lord 
turned  again  the  captivity  of  Zion,  we  were  like  them 
that  dream.  Then  was  our  mouth  filled  with  laughter, 
and  our  tongue  with  singing :  then  said  they  among 
the  heathen,  the  Lord  hath  done  great  things  for  them ; 
the  Lord  hath  done  great  things  for  us,  whereof  we  are 
glad."    (Ps.  cxxvi.  1,  2.) 

Again,  there  is  the  laughter  with  which  unbelief  fills 
our  mouths,  when  God's  promises  are  too  magnificent 
for  our  narrow  hearts  to  take  in,  or  the  visible  agency 
too  small  in  our  judgment  for  the  accomplishment  of 
his  grand  designs.  The  first  of  these  we  are  never 
ashamed  or  afraid  to  avow.  Zion's  sons  are  not  ashamed 
to  say,  "then  was  our  mouth  filled  with  laughter." 
(Ps.  cxxvi.  2.)  When  Jehovah  makes  us  to  laugh,  we 
may   laugh   heartily.     ''But   Sarah  denied,   saying,    I 


1 92  GENESIS. 

laughed  not;  for  she  was  afraid."  Unbelief  makes  us 
cowards  and  liars;  faith  makes  us  bold  and  truthful. 
It  enables  us  to  "  come  boldly,"  and  to  "  draw  near 
with  true  hearts." 

But,  further,  Abraham  is  made  the  depositary  of 
God's  thoughts  and  counsels  about  Sodom.  Though 
having  nothing  to  do  with  it  personally,  3^et  he  was 
so  near  the  Lord  that  he  was  let  into  his  mind  in  refer- 
ence to  it.  The  way  to  know  the  divine  purposes 
about  this  present  evil  world,  is  not  to  be  mixed  up 
with  it  in  its  schemes  and  speculations,  but  to  l^e 
entirely  separated  from  it.  The  more  closely  we  Avalk 
with  God,  and  the  more  sul)ject  we  are  to  his  word, 
the  more  we  shall  know  of  his  mind  about  every  thing. 
I  do  not  need  to  study  the  newspaper  in  order  to  know 
what  is  going  to  happen  in  the  world.  God's  word  re- 
veals all  I  want  to  know.  In  its  pure  and  sanctifying 
pages  I  learn  all  about  the  character,  the  course,  and 
the  destiny  of  the  world ;  whereas,  if  I  go  to  the  men 
of  the  world  for  news,  I  may  expect  that  llw  devil  will 
use  them  to  cast  dust  in  my  eyes. 

Had  Abraham  visited  Sodom  in  order  [•■  ol)tain  in- 
formation about  its  facts,  had  he  applied  to  some  of  its 
leading  intelligent  men,  to  know  what  they  thought  of 
Sodom's  present  condition  and  future  prosoects,  how 
would  he  have  been  answered  ?  Doubtless  they  would 
have  called  his  attention  to  their  agriculturj^l  and  archi- 
tectural schemes,  the  vast  resources  of  the  C(  ^iitr}^ ;  they 
would  have  placed  before  his  eyes  one  va-t,  mingled 
scene  of  buying  and  selling,  building  and  planting, 
eating  and  drinking,  marrying  and  giving  m1  marriage. 
Doubtless,  too,  they  would  never  dream    i''  judgment, 


CHAPTER    XYIII.  193 

and  if  any  one  had  made  mention  thereof,  their  months 
would  have  been  filled  Avith  infidel  laughter.  Hence, 
then,  it  is  plain,  that  Sodom  was  not  the  place  in  which 
to  learn  about  Sodom's  end.  No  ;  "  the  place,  where 
Abraham  stood  before  the  Lord,"  afforded  the  only 
proper  point  from  whence  to  take  in  the  whole  prospect. 
There  he  could  stand  entirely  above  the  fogs  and  mists 
which  had  gathered  upon  Sodom's  horizon.  There,  in 
the  clearness  and  calmness  of  the  divine  presence,  he 
could  understand  it  all.  And  what  use  did  he  make  of 
his  knowledge  and  his  elevated  position  ?  How  was  he 
occupied  in  the  Lord's  presence  ?  The  answer  to  these 
inquiries  leads  us  to  the  third  special  privilege  enjo^'ed 
by  our  patriarch  in  this  chapter,  namely, — 

Intercession  for  others  before  the  Lord.  He  was 
enabled  to  plead  for  those  who  Ave  re  mixed  up  in 
Sodom's  defilement,  and  in  danger  of  being  involved  in 
Sodom's  judgment.  This  was  a  happy  and  a  holy  use 
to  make  of  his  place  of  nearness  to  God.  Thus  it  is 
ever.  The  soul  that  can  "■  draw  near  to  God,"  in  the 
assurance  of  faith,  having  the  heart  and  conscience  per- 
fectly at  rest,  being  able  to  repose  in  God  as  to  the  past, 
the  present,  and  the  future, — that  soul  will  be  able  and 
willing  to  intercede  for  others.  The  man  who  has  on 
"  the  whole  armor  of  God,"  will  be  able  to  pray  for 
all  "  saints."  And,  oh  !  what  a  view  this  gives  us  of  the 
intercession  of  our  Great  High-priest,  who  has  passed 
into  the  heavens  !  What  infinite  repose  he  enjoys  in 
all  the  divine  counsels  !  With  what  conscious  accept- 
ance he  sits  enthroned  amid  the  brightness  of  the 
Majesty  in  the  heavens  !  And  with  what  efi&cacy  he 
pleads  before  that  Majesty  for  those  who  are  toiling 
17  N 


194  GENESIS. 

along  amid  the  defilement  of  this  present  scene  !  Happy, 
ineffably  happy,  they  who  are  the  subjects  of  such  all- 
prevailing  intercession  !  At  once  happy  and  secure. 
Would  that  we  had  hearts  to  enter  into  all  this, — 
hearts  enlarged  by  personal  communion  with  God,  to 
take  in  more  of  the  infinite  fulness  of  his  grace,  and 
the  suitability  of  his  provision,  for  all  our  need. 

We  see  in  this  scripture  that  how  blessed  soever 
Abraham's  intercession  might  be,  yet  it  was  limited, 
because  the  intercessor  was  but  a  man.  It  did  not 
reach  the  need.  He  said,  "  I  will  speak  yet  but  this 
once,^^  and  there  he  stopped  short,  as  if  afraid  of  having 
presented  too  large  a  draft  at  the  treasury  of  infinite 
grace,  or  forgetting  that  faith's  check  was  never  yet 
dishonored  at  God's  bank.  It  was  not  that  he  was 
straitened  in  God.  By  no  means.  There  was  abundance 
of  grace  and  patience  in  him  to  have  hearkened  to  his 
dear  servant,  had  he  proceeded  even  to  three  or  one. 
But  the  servant  was  limited.  He  was  afraid  of  over- 
drawing his  account.  He  ceased  to  ask,  and  God  ceased 
to  give.     Not  so  our  blessed    Intercessor.     Of  him  it 

can  be  said,  "He  is  able  to  save  to  the  tittermost," 

seeing  he  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession."  May  our 
hearts  cling  to  him  in  all  our  need,  our  weakness,  and 
our  conflict. 

Before  closing  this  section,  I  would  offer  a  remark, 
which,  whether  it  may  be  regarded  as  properly  flowing 
out  of  the  truth  contained  therein,  or  not,  is  neverthe- 
less worthy  of  consideration.  It  is  of  the  utmost  im- 
portance in  the  study  of  spripture  to  distinguish  be- 
tween God's  moral  government  of  the  world,  and  the 
specific  hope  of  the  Church.     The  entire  body  of  Old 


CHAPTER  xvni.       ^  195 

Testament  prophecy,  and  much  of  the  New,  treats  of 
the  former,  and,  in  so  doing,  presents,  I  need  hardly  say, 
a  subject  of  commanding  interest  to  eyery  Christian. 
It  is  interesting  to  know  what  God  is  doing,  and  will 
do,  with  all  the  nations  of  the  earth, — interesting  to 
read  God's  thoughts  about  T3n'e,  Babylon,  Nineveh,  and 
Jerusalem, — about  Egypt,  Assyria,  and  the  land  of 
Israel.  In  short,  the  entire  range  of  Old  Testament 
prophecy  demands  the  prayerful  attention  of  eyery  true 
belieyer.  But  let  it  be  remembered,  we  do  not  find 
therein  contained  the  proper  hope  of  the  Church.  How 
could  we  ?  If  we  haya  not  therein  the  Church's  exist- 
ence directly  revealed,  how  could  we  have  the  Church's 
hope  ?  Impossible.  It  is  not  that  the  Church  cannot 
find  there  a  rich  harvest  of  divine  moral  principles, 
which  she  may  most  happily  and  profitably  use.  She 
undoubtedly  can  ;  but  this  is  quite  another  thing  from 
finding  there  her  proper  existence  and  specific  hope. 
And  yet,  a  large  portion  of  the  Old-Testament  prophe- 
cies has  been  applied  to  the  Church  ;  and  this  application 
has  involved  the  whole  subject  in  such  mist  and  con- 
fusion that  simple  minds  are  scared  away  from  the 
study;  and,  in  neglecting  the  study  of  prophecy,  they 
have  also  neglected  that  which  is  quite  distinct  from  pro- 
phecy, properly  so  called,  even  the  hope  of  the  Church  ; 
which  hope,  be  it  well  remembered,  is  not  any  thing 
which  God  is  going  to  do  with  the  nations  of  the  earth, 
but  to  meet  the  Lord  Jesus  in  the  clouds  of  heaven, 
to  be  forever  with  him,  and  forever  like  him. 

Many  may  say,  I  have  no  head  for  prophecy.  Per- 
haps not,  but  you  have  a  heart  for  Christ  ?  Surely  if 
you  love  Christ,  you  will  love  his  appearing,  though 


196  GENESIS. 

you  may  have  no  capacity  for  p.rophctic  investigation. 
An  affectionate  wife  may  not  have  a  head  to  enter  into 
her  husband's  affairs ;  hut  she  has  a  heart  for  her  hus- 
band's return.  She  might  not  be  able  to  understand 
his  ledger  and  day-book ;  but  she  knows  his  footstep 
and  recognizes  his  voice.  The  most  unlettered  saint,  if 
only  he  has  affection  for  the  person  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
can  entertain  the  most  intense  desire  to  see  him ;  and 
this  is  the  Church's  hope.  The  apostle  could  say  to 
the  Thessalonians,  "  Ye  turned  to  God  from  idols,  to 
serve  the  living  and  true  God,  and  to  wait  for  his  So7i 
from  heaven.''^  (1  Thess.  i.  9,^  10.)  Now,  evidently, 
those  Thessalonian  saints  could,  at  the  moment  of  their 
conversion,  have  known  little,  if  any  thing,  of  prophecy, 
or  the  special  subject  thereof;  and  yet  they  were,  at 
that  very  moment,  put  into  the  full  possession  and 
power  of  the  specific  hope  of  the  Church, — even  the 
coming  of  the  Son.  Thus  is  it  throughout  the  entire 
New  Testament.  There,  no  doubt,  we  have  prophecy, — 
there,  too,  we  have  God's  moral  government ;  but,  at  the 
same  time,  numberless  passages  might  be  adduced  in 
proof  of  the  fact  that  the  common  hope  of  Christians 
in  apostolic  times — the  simple,  unimpeded,  and  unen- 
cumbered hope— was,  THE  RETURN  OF  THE 
BRIDEGROOM.  May  the  Holy  Ghost  revive  ''that 
blessed  hope"  in  the  Church, — may  he  gather  in  the 
numljer  of  the  elect,  and  "make  ready  a  people  pre- 
pared for  the  Lord  I'' 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

There  are  two  methods  winch  the  Lord  graciously 
adopts,  in  order  to  draw  the  heart  away  from  this 
present  world.  The  first  is,  by  setting  before  it  the 
attractiveness  and  stability  of  "tilings  above."  The 
second  is,  by  faithfully  declaring  the  evanescent  and 
shakeable  nature  of  "  things  on  the  earth."  The  close 
of  Hebrews  xii.  furnishes  a  beautiful  example  of  each  of 
these  methods.  After  stating  the  truth,  that  we  are 
come  unto  mount  Zion,  with  all  its  attendant  joys  and- 
privileges,  the  apostle  goes  on  to  say,  "  See  that  ye  re- 
fuse not  him  that  speaketh  :  for  if  they  escaped  not  who 
refused  him  that  spake  on  earth,  much  more  shall  not 
we  escape,  if  we  turn  away  from  him  that  speaketh  from 
heaven ;  whose  voice  then  shook  the  earth,  but  now  he 
hath  promised,  saying.  Yet  once  I  shake,  not  only 
the  earth,  but  also  heaven.  Now  this  word  Once  signi- 
fieth  the  removal  of  the  shakeable  things,  as  of  things 
that  are  made,  that  the  unshakeable  things  may  remain." 
Now  it  is  much  better  to  be  drawn  by  the  joys  of 
heaven,  than  driven  by  the  sorrows  of  earth.  The  be- 
liever should  not  wait  to  be  shaken  out  of  present 
things.  He  should  not  w^ait  for  the  w^orld-to  give  him 
up  before  he  gives  up  the  world.  He  should  give  it 
up  in  the  power  of  communion  with  heavenly  things. 
There  is  no  difficulty  in  giving  up  the  world  when  we 
have,  by  faith,  laid  hold  of  Christ :  the  difficulty  would 
then  be  to  hold  it.  If  a  scavenger  were  left  an  estate 
of  ten  thousand  a  year,  he  would  not  long  continue  to 

197 


198  GENESIS. 

sweep  the  streets.  Thus,  if  we  are  realizing  our  portion 
amid  the  unshakeable  realities  of  heaven,  we  shall  find 
little  difficulty  in  resigning  the  delusive  joys  of  earth. 
Let  us  now  look  at  the  solemn  section  of  inspired  history 
here  set  before  us. 

In  it  we  find  Lot  "  sitting  in  the  gate  of  Sodom,"  the 
place  of  authority.  He  has  evidently  made  progress. 
He  has  "got  on  in  the  world."  Looked  at  from  a 
worldly  point  of  view,  his  course  has  been  a  successful 
one.  He  at  first  "pitched  his  tent  toward  Sodom." 
Then,  no  doubt,  he  found  his  way  into  it ;  and  now  we 
find  him  sitting  in  the  gate, — a  prominent,  influential 
post.  How  different  is  all  this  from  the  scene  with 
which  the  preceding  chapter  opens !  But,  ah  I  my 
reader,  the  reason  is  obvious.  ''By  faith  Abraham  so- 
journed in  the  land  of  promise,  as  in  a  strange  country, 
dwelling  in  tabernacles."  We  have  no  such  statement 
in  reference  to  Lot.*  It  could  not  be  said,  "  By  faith 
Lot  sat  in  the  gate  of  Sodom."  Alas  !  no  :  he  gets  no 
place  among  the  noble  army  of  confessors, — the  great 
cloud  of  witnesses  to  the  power  of  faith.  The  world 
was  his  snare,  present  things  his  bane.  He  did  not 
"  endure  as  seeing  him  who  is  invisible."  He  looked  at 
"the  things  which  are  seen,  and  temporal:"  whereas 
Abraham  looked  at  "the  things  which  are  unseen  and 
eternal."  There  was  a  most  material  difference  between 
those  two  men,  who,  though  they  started  together  on 
their  course,  reached  a  very  different  goal,  so  far  as  their 

*  It  would  furnish  a  very  searching  question  for  the  heart,  in  refer- 
ence to  every  undertaking,  were  we  to  ask,  "Am  I  doing  this  by  faith  ?" 
«  Whatever  is  not  of  faith  is  sin  ;"  and,  "  Without  faith  it  is  impossible 
to  please  God." 


CHAPTER   XIX.  199 

public  testimony  was  concerned.  No  doubt  Lot  was  saved, 
yet  it  was  "  so  as  by  fire,"  for,  truly,  ''  his  work  was  burned 
up."  On  the  other  hand,  Abraham  had  "  an  abundant 
entrance  ministered  unto  him  into  the  everlasting  king- 
dom of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ." 

Further,  we  do  not  find  that  Lot  is  permitted  to  en- 
joy any  of  the  high  distinctions  and  privileges  with 
which  Abraham  was  favored.  Instead  of  refreshing 
the  Lord,  Lot  gets  his  righteous  soul  vexed ;  instead 
of  enjoying  communion  with  the  Lord,  he  is  at  a  lament- 
able distance  from  the  Lord;  and  lastly,  instead  of 
interceding  for  others,  he  finds  enough  to  do  to  intercede 
for  himself.  The  Lord  remained  to  commune  with 
Abraham,  and  merely  sent  his  angels  to  Sodom ;  and 
these  angels  could,  with  difficulty  be  induced  to  enter 
into  Lot's  house,  or  partake  of  his  hospitality:  "they 
said.  Nay,  but  we  will  abide  in  the  street  all  night." 
What  a  rebuke  I  How  different  from  the  willing 
acceptance  of  Abraham's  invitation,  as  expressed  in  the 
words,  "So  do  as  thou  hast  said." 

There  is  a  great  deal  involved  in  the  act  of  partaking 
of  any  one's  hospitality.  It  expresses,  when  intelli- 
gently looked  at,  full  fellowship  with  him.  "  I  will 
come  in  unto  him,  and  sup  iviih  him,  and  he  with  me." 
"If  ye  have  judged  me  to  be  faithful  to  the  Lord,  come 
into  my  house  and  abide."  If  they  had  not  so  judged 
her,  they  would  not  have  accepted  her  invitation. 

Hence,  the  angels'  word  to  Lot  contains  a  most  un- 
qualified condemnation  of  his  position  in  Sodom.  They 
would  rather  abide  in  the  street  all  night,  than  enter 
under  the  roof  of  one  in  a  wrong  position.  Indeed, 
their  only  object  in  coming  to  Sodom  seems  to  have 


Wdi  GENESIS. 

been  to  deliver  Lot,  and  that,  too,  because  of  Abraham ; 
as  we  read:  "And  it  came  to  pass,  when  God  destroyed 
the  cities  of  the  plain,  that  God  remembered  Abraham, 
and  sent  Lot  out  of  the  midst  of  the  overthrow,  when 
he  overthrew  the  cities  in  which  Lot  dwelt."  This  is 
strongly  marked.  It  was  simply  for  Abraham's  sake 
that  Lot  was  suffered  to  escape  :  the  Lord  has  no  sym- 
pathy with  a  worldly  mind ;  and  such  a  mind  it  was 
that  had  led  Lot  to  settle  down  amid  the  defilement  of 
that  guilty  city.  Faith  never  put  him  there  ;  a  spirit- 
ual mind  never  put  him  there;  "his  righteous  soul" 
never  put  him  there.  It  was  simple  love  for  this  pres- 
ent evil  world  that  led  him  first  to  "  choose,"  then  to 
"pitch  his  tent  toward,"  and  finally,  to  "sit  in  the  gate 
of  Sodom."  And,  oh!  what  a  portion  he  chose.  Truly 
it  was  a  broken  cistern  which  could  hold  no  water, — a 
broken  reed  which  pierced  his  hand.  It  is  a  bitter 
thing  to  seek,  in  any  wise,  to  manage  for  t)urselves ;  we 
are  sure  to  make  the  most  grievous  mistakes.  It  is 
infinitely  better  to  allow  God  to  order  all  our  ways  for 
us,  to  commit  them  all,  in  the  spirit  of  a  little  child,  to 
him  who  is  so  willing  and  so  able  to  manage  for  us, — . 
to  put  the  pen,  as  it  were,  into  his  blessed  hand,  and 
allow  him  to  sketch  out  our  entire  course  according  to 
his  own  unerring  wisdom  and  infinite  love. 

No  doubt  Lot  thought  he  was  doing  well  for  himself 
and  his  family  when  he  moved  to  Sodom ;  but  the 
sequel  shows  how  entirely  he  erred  ;  and  it  also  sounds 
in  our  ears  a  voice  of  deepest  solemnity, — a  voice  telling 
us  to  beware  how  we  yield  to  the  incipient  workings  of 
a  worldly  spirit.  "  Be  content  with  such  things  as  ye 
have."     Why  ?     Is  it  because  you  are  so  well  off  in  the 


CHAPTER   XIX.  201 

world  ?  Because  jou  have  all  that  your  poor  rambling 
hearts  would  seek  after  ?  Because  there  is  not  so  much 
as  a  single  chink  in  your  circumstances,  through  which 
a  vain  desire  might  make  its  escape  ?  Is  this  to  be  the 
ground  of  our  contentment  ?  By  no  means.  "What 
then?  "  For  he  hath  said,  I  will  never  leave  thee  nor 
forsake  thee."  Blessed  portion  !  Had  Lot  been  con- 
tent therewith,  he  never  would  have  sought  the  well- 
watered  plains  of  Sodom. 

And   then,    if  we   need    any  further   ground   of    in- 
ducement to  the  exercise  of  a  contented  spirit,  truly  we 
have  it  in  this  chapter.     What  did  Lot  gain  in  the  way 
of  happiness    and    contentment  ?     Little  indeed.     The 
people  of  Sodom  surround  his  house,  and  threaten  to 
break  into  it ;    he  seeks  to  appease   them   by  a  most 
humiliating  proposition,  but  all  in  vain.     If  a  man  will 
mingle  with  the  world  for  the  purpose  of  self-aggrand- 
izement, he  must  make  up  his  mind  to  endure  the  sad 
consequences.     We  cannot  profit  by  the  world,  and  at 
the   same   time    bear   effectual    testimony    against    its 
wickedness.     "  This  one  fellow  came  in  to  sojourn,  and 
he  will  needs  be  a  judge."     This  will  never  do.     The 
true  way  to  judge  is  to  stand  apart,  in  the  moral  poAver 
of  grace,  not.  in  the  supercilious  spirit  of  Pharisaism. 
To  attempt  to  reprove  the  world's  ways  while  we  profit 
by  association  with  it,  is  vanity ;  the  world  will  attach 
very  little  weight  to  such  reproof  and  such  testimony. 
Thus  it  was,  too,  with  Lot's  testimony  to  his  sons-in- 
law ;   "he  seemed  as  one  that  mocked."     It  is  vain  to 
speak  of  approaching  judgment,  while  finding  our  place, 
our  portion,  and  our  enjoyment,  in  the  very  scene  which 
is  to  be  judged. 


202  GENESIS. 

Abraham  was  in  a  far  better  position  to  speak  of  judg- 
ment, inasmuch  as  he  was  entirely  outside  of  the  sphere 
thereof.  The  tent  of  the  stranger  at  Mamre  was  in  no 
danger,  though  Sodom  were  in  flames.  Oh,  that  our 
hearts  longed  more  after  the  precious  fruits  of  a  realized 
strangership,  so  that  instead  of  having,  like  poor  Lot, 
to  be  dragged  by  main  force  out  of  the  world,  and 
casting  a  lingering  look  behind,  we  might,  with  holy 
alacrity  bound  forward  like  a  racer  towards  the  goal  ! 

Lot  evidently  longed  after  the  scene  which  he  was 
forced  by  angelic  power  to  abandon ;  for  not  only  had 
the  angels  to  lay  hold  of  him  and  hasten  him  away 
from  the  impending  judgment,  but  even  when  exhorted 
to  escape  for  his  life  (which  was  all  he  could  save  from 
the  wreck)  and  flee  to  the  mountain,  he  replies,  "  Oh  ! 
not  so,  my  Lord :  behold,  now,  thy  servant  hath  found 
grace  in  thy  sight,  and  thou  hast  magnified  thy  mercy 
which  thou  hast  showed  unto  me  in  saving  my  life ; 
and  I  cannot  escape  to  the  mountain,  lest  some  evil  take 
me  and  I  die  :  behold,  now,  this  city  is  near  to  flee  unto, 
and  it  is  a  little  one  :  oh,  let  me  escape  thither,  (is  it 
not  a  little  one  ?)  and  my  soul  shall  live."  What  a  pic- 
ture !  He  seems  like  a  drowning  man,  ready  to  catch 
even  at  a  floating  feather.  Though  commanded  by  the 
angel  to  flee  to  the  mountain,  he  refuses,  and  still  fondly 
clings  to  the  idea  of  "  a  little  city," — some  little  shred 
of  the  world.  He  feared  death  in  the  place  to  which 
God  was  mercifully  directing  him, — yea,  he  feared  all 
manner  of  evil,  and  could  only  hope  for  safety  in  some 
little  city,  some  spot  of  his  own  devising.  "  Oh,  let 
me  escape  thither,  and  my  soul  shall  live.''^  How  sad  I 
There  is  no  casting  himself  wholly  upon  God.     Alas  I 


CHAPTER   XIX.  203 

he  had  too  long  walked  at  a  distance  from  him;  too  long 
breathed  the  dense  atmosphere  of  a  "  city,"  to  be  able 
to  appreciate  the  pure  air  of  the  divine  presence,  or  lean 
on  the  arm  of  the  Almighty.  His  soul  seemed  com- 
pletely unhinged ;  his  worldly  nest  had  been  abruptly 
broken  up,  and  he  was  not  quite  able  to  nestle  himself, 
by  faith,  in  the  bosom  of  God.  He  had  not  been  cul- 
tivating communion  with  the  invisible  world  ;  and,  now, 
the  visible  was  passing  away  from  beneath  his  feet  with 
tremendous  rapidity.  The  "  fire  and  brimstone  from 
heaven"  were  about  to  fall  upon  that  in  which  all  his  hopes 
and  all  his  affections  were  centred.  The  thief  had  broken 
in  upon  him,  and  he  seems  entirely  divested  of  spiritual 
nerve  and  self-possession.  He  is  at  his  wits'  end ;  but  the 
worldly  element,  being  strong  in  his  heart,  prevails,  and 
he  seeks  his  only  refuge  in  '''a  little  city."  Yet  he  is 
not  at  ease  even  there,  for  he  leaves  it  and  gets  up  to 
the  mountain.  He  does  through  fear  what  he  would 
not  do  at  the  command  of  God's  messenger. 

And  then,  see  his  end  !  His  own  children  make  him 
drunk,  and  in  his  drunkenness  he  becomes  the  instru- 
ment of  bringing  into  existence  the  Ammonites  and  the 
Moabites, — the  determined  enemies  of  the  people  of 
God.  What  a  volume  of  solemn  instruction  is  here  ! 
Oh,  my  reader,  see  here  what  the  world  is  !  see  what  a 
fatal  thing  it  is  to  allow  the  heart  to  go  out  after  it ! 
What  a  commentary  is  Lot's  history  upon  that  brief 
but  comprehensive  admonition,  "Love  not  the  world!" 
This  world's  Sodoms  and  its  Zoars  are  all  alike.  There 
is  no  security,  no  peace,  no  rest,  no  solid  satisfaction 
for  the  heart  therein.  The  judgment  of  God  hangs 
over  the  whole   scene ;    and   he  only  holds   back   the 


204  GENESIS. 

sword,   in  lon2:-suffering   mercy,   not  willing  that  any 
should  perish,  but  that  all  should  come  to  repentance. 

Let  us,  then,  seek  to  pursue  a  path  of  holy  separation 
from  the  world.  Let  us,  while  standing  outside  its  en- 
tire range,  be  found  cherishing  the  hope  of  the  Master's 
return.  May  its  well-watered  plains  have  no  charms 
for  our  hearts.  May  its  honors,  its  distinctions,  and 
its  riches,  be  all  surveyed  by  us  in  the  light  of  the 
coming  glory  of  Christ.  May  we  be  enabled,  like  the 
holy  patriarch  Abraham,  to  get  up  into  the  presence  of 
the  Lord,  and,  from  that  elevated  ground,  look  forth 
upon  the  scene  of  wide-spread  ruin  and  desolation, — to 
see  it  all,  by  faith's  anticipative  glance,  a  smoking  ruin. 
Such  it  ivill  be.  ''The  earth  also,  and  the  things  that 
are  therein,  shall  be  burned  up."  All  that  about  which 
the  children  of  this  world  are  so  intensely  anxious — 
after  which  they  are  so  eagerly  grasping — for  which 
they  are  so  fiercely  contending — all — all  will  be  burned 
up.  And  who  can  tell  how  soon  ?  Where  is  Sodom  ? 
Where  is  Gomorrah  ?  Where  are  the  cities  of  the 
plain, — those  cities  which  were  once  all  life,  and  stir, 
and  bustle  ?  Where  are  they  now  ?  All  gone  !  swept 
away  by  the  judgment  of  God  !  Consumed  by  his 
fire  and  brimstone !  Well,  his  judgments  now  hang 
over  this  guilty  world.  The  day  is  at  hand ;  and,  while 
judgments  impend,  the  sweet  story  of  grace  is  Ix'ing 
told  out  to  many  an  ear.  Happy  they  who  hear  and 
believe  that  story !  Happy  they  who  flee  to  the  strong 
mountain  of  God's  salvation!  who  take  refuge  behind 
the  cross  of  tne  Sou  of  God,  and  therein  find  pardon 
and  peace  ! 

God   grant  that  the  reader  of  these  lines  may  know 


CHAPTER    XX.  205 

what  it  is,  with  a  conscience  purged  from  sin,  and  his 
heart's  affections  purged  from  the  defiling  influence  of 
the  world,  to  wait  for  the  Son  from  heaven. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

"We  have  two  distinct  points  in  this  chapter:  first, 
the  moral  degradation  to  which  the  child  of  God  some- 
times subjects  himself  in  the  view  of  the  world  ;  and, 
secondly,  the  moral  dignity  which  always  belongs  to 
him  in  the  view  of  God.  Abraham  again  exhibits  the 
dread  of  circumstances  which  the  heart  can  so  easily 
understand.  He  sojourns  in  Gerar,  and  fears  the  men 
of  that  place.  Judging  that  God  was  not  there,  he 
forgets  that  he  is  always  with  him.  He  seems  to  be 
more  occupied  with  the  men  of  Gerar  than  with  the  One 
who  was  stronger  than  they.  Forgetting  God's  ability 
to  protect  his  wife,  he  has  recourse  to  the  same  strata- 
gem which,  years  before,  he  had  adopted  in  Egypt.  This 
is  very  admonitory.  The  father  of  the  faithful  was 
carried  away,  by  taking  his  eye  off  God.  He  lost  for 
a  little  his  centre  in  God,  and,  therefore,  gave  way. 
How  true  it  is  that  we  are  only  strong  as  we  cling  to 
God  in  the  sense  of  our  perfect  weakness.  So  long  as 
we  are  in  the  path  of  his  appointment,  nothing  can 
harm  us.  Had  Abraham  simply  leaned  on  God,  the 
men  of  Gerar  would  not  have  meddled  with  him ;  and 
it  was  his  privilege  to  have  vindicated  God's  faithful- 
ness in  the  midst  of  the  most  appalling  difficulties. 
Thus,  too,  he  would  have  maintaiRed  his  own  dignity 
as  a  man  of  faith. 


20  G  GENESIS. 

It  is  often  a  soiree  of  sorrow  to  the  heart  to  mark 
how  the  children  of  God  dishonor  him,  and,  as  a  eon- 
sequence,  lower  themselves  before  the  world  by  losing 
the  sense  of  his  sufficiency  for  every  em-ergency.  So 
long  as  we  live  in  the  realization  of  the  truth  that  all 
our  springs  are  in  God,  so  long  shall  we  be  above  the 
world,  in  every  shape  and  form.  There  is  nothing  so 
elevating  to  the  whole  moral  being  as  faith :  it  carries 
one  entirely  beyond  the  reach  of  this  world's  thoughts ; 
for  how  can  the  men  of  the  world,  or  even  worldly- 
minded  Christians,  understand  the  life  of  faith  ?  Im- 
possible: the  springs  on  which  it  draws  lie  far  away 
beyond  their  comprehension.  They  live  on  the  surface 
of  present  things.  So  long  as  they  can  see  what  they 
deem  a  proper  foundation  for  hope  and  confidence,  so 
long  they  are  hopeful  and  confident ;  but  the  idea  of 
resting  solely  on  the  promise  of  an  unseen  God,  they 
understand  not.  But  the  man  of  faith  is  calm  in  the 
midst  of  scenes  in  which  nature  can  see  nothing.  Hence 
it  is  that  faith  ever  seems,  in  the  judgment  of  nature, 
such  a  reckless,  improvident,  visionary  thing.  None 
but  those  who  know  God,  can  ever  approve  the  actings 
of  faith,  for  none  but  they  really  understand  the  solid 
and  truly  reasonable  ground  of  such  actings. 

In  this  chapter  we  find  the  man  of  God  actually  ex- 
posing himself  to  the  rebuke  and  reproach  of  the  men 
of  the  world,  by  reason  of  his  actings  when  under  the 
power  of  unbelief.  Thus  it  must  ever  be.  N^othing 
but  faith  can  impart  true  elevation  to  a  man's  course 
and  character.  We  may,  it  is  true,  see  some  who 
are  naturally  upright  and  honorable  in  their  ways, 
yet  nature's  uprightness  and  honor  cannot  be  trusted ; 


CHAPTER    XX.  20Y 

tliey  rest  on  a  bad  foundation,  and  are  liable  to  give 
way  at  any  moment.  It  is  only  faith  which  can  im- 
part a  truly  elevated  moral  tone,  because  it  connects  the 
soul  in  living  power  with  God,  the  only  Source  of  true 
morality.  And  it  is  a  remarkable  fact  that,  in  the  case 
of  all  those  whom  God  has  graciously  taken  up,  we  see 
that,  when  off  the  path  of  faith,  they  sank  even  lower 
than  other  men.  This  will  account  for  Abraham's  con- 
duct in  this  part  of  his  history. 

But  there  is  another  point  of  much  interest  and 
value  brought  out  here.  We  find  that  Abraham  had 
harbored  an  evil  thing  for  a  number  of  years:  he 
had,  it  seems,  started  upon  his  course  with  a  certain  re- 
serve in  his  soul,  which  reserve  was  the  result  of  his 
want  of  full,  unqualified  confidence  in  God.  Had  he 
been  able  fully  to  trust  God  in  reference  to  Sarah,  there 
would  have  been  no  need  of  any  reserve  or  subterfuge 
whatever.  God  would  have  fenced  her  round  about 
from  every  ill;  and  who  can  harm  those  who  are  the 
happy  subjects  of  his  unslumbering  guardianship  ? 
However,  through  mercy,  Abraham  is  enabled  to  bring 
out  the  root  of  the  whole  matter, — to  confess  and  judge 
it  thoroughly,  and  get  rid  of  it.  This  is  the  triK  way 
to  act.  There  can  be  no  real  blessing  and  power  till 
every  particle  of  leaven  is  brought  forth  into  the  ight 
and  there  trampled  under  foot.  God's  patience  is  ex- 
haustless.  He  can  wait.  He  can  bear  with  us ;  but 
he  never  will  conduct  a  soul  to  the  culminating  point 
of  blessing  and  power  while  leaven  remains  known  and 
unjudged.  Thus  much  as  to  Abimelech  and  Abraham. 
Let  us  410W  look  at  the  moral  dignity  of  the  latter,  in 
the  view  of  God. 


208  GENESIS. 

In  the  history  of  Grod's  people,  whether  we  look  at 
them  as  a  whole,  or  as  individuals,  we  are  often  struck 
with  the  amazing  difference  between  what  they  are  in 
God's  view,  and  what  they  are  in  the  view  of  the  world. 
God  sees  his  people  in  Christ.  He  looks  at  them 
through  Christ ;  and  hence  he  sees  t-hem  "  without  spot, 
or  wrinkle,  or  any  such  thing."  They  are  as  Christ  is 
before  God.  They  are  perfected  forever,  as  to  their 
standing  in  Christ.  "  They  are  not  in  the  flesh  but  in 
the  Spirit." 

But,  in  themselves,  they  are  poor,  feeble,  imperfect, 
stumbling,  inconsistent  creatures ;  and,  inasmuch  as  it 
is  what  they  are  in  themselves,  and  that  alone,  that  the 
world  takes  knowledge  of,  therefore  it  is  that  the  dif- 
ference seems  so  great  between  the  divine  and  the 
human  estimate. 

Yet  it  is  God's  prerogative  to  set  forth  the  beauty, 
the  dignity,  and  the  perfection  of  his  people.  It  is 
his  exclusive  prerogative,  inasmuch  as  it  is  he  him- 
self who  has  bestowed  those  things.  They  are  only 
comely  through  the  comeliness  which  he  has  put  upon 
them  ;  and  it  is  therefore  due  to  him  to  declare  what 
that  comeliness  is  ;  and  truly  he  does  it  in  a  manner 
worthy  of  himself,  and  never  more  blessedly  than  when 
the  enemy  comes  forth  to  injure,  to  curse,  or  accuse. 
Thus,  when  Balak  seeks  to  curse  the  seed  of  Abraham, 
Jehovah's  word  is :  "I  have  not  beheld  iniquity  in 
Jacob,  neither  have  I  seen  perverseness  in  Israel." 
"  How  goodly  are  thy  tents,  O  tiacob,  and  thy  taber- 
nacles, 0  Israel."  Again,  when  Satan  stands  forth  to 
resist  Joshua,  the  word  is,  "  The  Lord  rebuke  ,thee,  0 
Satan, is  not  this  a  brand  plucked  out  of  the 


CHAPTER    XX.  209 

fire  ?"  Thus  he  ever  puts  himself  between  his  people 
and  every  tongue  that  would  accuse  them.  He  does 
not  answer  the  accusation  by  a  reference  to  what  his 
people  are  in  themselves,  or  to  what  they  are  in  the 
view  of  the  men  of  this  world,  but  to  what  he  himself 
has  made  them,  and  where  he  set  them. 

Thus,  in  Abraham's  case,  he  might  lower  himself  in 
the  view  of  Abimelech,  king  of  Gerar  ;  and  Abimelech 
might  have  to  rebuke  him,  yet,  when  God  comes  to  deal 
with  the  case,  he  says  to  Abimelech,  "  Behold,  thou  art 
but  a  dead  man  ;"  and  of  Abraham  he  says,  "He  is  a 
prophet,  and  he  shall  pray  for  thee."  Yes,  with  all 
"  the  integrity  of  his  heart,  and  the  innocency  of  his 
hands,"  the  king  of  Gerar  was  "  but  a  dead  man  ;"  and, 
moreover,  he  must  be  a  debtor  to  the  prayers  of  the 
erring  and  inconsistent  stranger  for  the  restoration  of 
the  health  of  his  household.  Such  is  the  manner  of 
God  :  he  may  have  many  a  secret  controversy  with  his 
child  on  the  ground  of  his  practical  ways  ;  but  directly 
the  enemy  enters  a  suit  against  him,  Jehovah  ever  pleads 
his  servant's  cause.  ''  Touch  not  mine  anointed,  and  do 
'my  prophets  no  harm."  "  He  that  toucheth  you,  touch- 
eth  the  apple  of  mine  eye."  "  It  is  God  that  justifieth, 
who  is  he  that  condemneth  ?"  No  dart  of  the  enemy 
can  penetrate  the  shield,  behind  which  the  Lord  has 
hidden  the  very  feeblest  lamb  of  his  blood-bought  flock. 
He  hides  his  people  in  his  pavilion,  sets  their  feet  upon 
the  Rock  of  ages,  lifts  their  head  above  their  enemies 
round  about,  and  fills  their  hearts  with  the  everlasting 
joy  of  his  salvation. 

His  name  be  praised  for  evermore  ! 
0 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

"  And  the  Lord  visited  Sarah,  as  he  had  said,  and 
the  Lord  did  unto  Sarah  as  he  had  spoken."  Here  we 
have  accomplished  promise, — the  blessed  fruit  of  patient 
waiting  upon  God.  None  ever  waited  in  vain.  The 
soul  that  takes  hold  of  God's  promise  by  faith  has  got- 
ten a  stable  reality  which  will  never  fail  him.  Thus 
was  it  with  Abraham ;  thus  was  it  with  all  the  faithful 
from  age  to  age  ;  and  thus  will  it  be  with  all  those  who 
are  enabled,  in  any  measure,  to  trust  in  the  living  God, 
Oh,  it  is  a  wonderful  blessing  to  have  God  himself  as 
our  portion  and  resting-place,  amid  the  unsatisfying 
shadows  of  this  scene  through  which  we  are  passing  ; 
to  have  our  anchor  cast  within  the  veil ;  to  have  the 
word  and  oath  of  God,  the  two  immutable  things,  to  lean 
upon,  for  the  comfort  and  tranquillity  of  our  souls. 

When  God's  promise  stood  before  the  soul  of  Abra- 
ham, as  an  accomplished  fact,  he  might  well  have  learnt 
the  futility  of  his  own  effort  to  reach  that  accomplish- ' 
ment.  Ishmael  was  of  no  use  whatever,  so  far  as 
God's  promise  was  concerned.  He  might,  and  did, 
afford  something  for  nature's  affections  to  entwine  them- 
selves around,  thus  furnishing  a  more  difficult  task  for 
Abraham  to  perform  afterwards  ;  but  he  was  in  no  wise 
conducive  to  the  development  of  the  purpose  of  God, 
or  to  the  establishment  of  Abraham's  faith, — quite  the 
reverse.  Nature  can  never  do  aught  for  God.  The 
Lord  must  "visit,"  and  the  Lord  must  "do,"  and  faith 
must  wait,  and  nature  must  be  still ;  yea,  must  be  eu- 
210 


CHAPTER   XXI.  211 

tirelj  set  aside  as  a  dead,  worthless  thing,  and  then  the 
divine  glory  can  shine  out,  and  faith  find  in  that  out- 
shining all  its  rich  and  sweet  reward.  "  Sarah  con- 
ceived and  bare  Abraham  a  son  in  his  old  age,  at  the 
set  time  of  whicl^God  had  spoken  to  him."  There  is 
such  a  thing  as  God's  "set  time,"  his' "due  season," 
and  for  this  the  faithful  must  be  content  to  wait.  The 
time  may  seem  long,  and  hope  deferred  may  make  the 
heart  sick ;  but  the  spiritual  mind  will  ever  find  its  re- 
lief in  the  assurance  that  all  is  for  the  ultimate  display 
of  God's  glory.  "For  the  vision  is  for  an  appointed 
time,  but  at  the  end  it  shall  speak,  and  not  lie  ;  though 
it  tarry,  wait  for  it ;  because  it  will  surely,  come,  it  will 

not  tarry but  the  just  shall  live  by  his  faith." 

(Hab.  ii.  3,  4.)  This  wondrous  faith  !  It  brings  into 
our  present  all  the  power  of  God's  future,  and  feeds 
upon  God's  promise  as  a  present  reality.  By  its  power 
the  soul  is  kept  hanging  upon  God,  when  every  outward 
thing  seems  to  be  against  it ;  and,  "  at  the  set  time," 
the  mouth  is  filled  with  laughter.  "Abraham  was  an 
hundred  years  old  when  his  son  Isaac  was  born  unto 
him."  Thus  nature  had  nothing  to  glory  in.  "Man's 
extremity  was  God's  opportunity  ;"  and  Sarah  said,  ''God 
hath  made  me  to  laugh."  All  is  triumph  when  God  is 
allowed  to  show  himself. 

Now,  while  the  birth  of  Isaac  filled  Sarah's  mouth 
with  laughter,  it  introduced  an  entirely  new  element 
•  into  Abraham's  house.  The  son  of  the  free-woman 
very  speedily  developed  the  true  character  of  the  son  of 
the  bond-woman.  Indeed,  Isaac  proved  in  principle 
to  be  to  the  household  of  Abraham  what  the  implanta- 
tion of  the  new  nature  is  in  the  soul  of  a  sinner.     It 


212  GENESIS. 

was  not  Ishmael  changed,  but  it  was  Isaac  born  The 
son  of  the  bond- woman  could  never  be  any  thing  else  but 
that.  He  might  become  a  great  nation  ;  he  might  dwell 
in  the  wilderness  and  become  an  archer ;  he  might  be- 
come the  father  of  twelve  princes  ; — but  fee  was  the  son  of 
the  bond-woman  all  the  while.  On  the  contrary,  no 
matter  how  weak  and  despised  Isaac  might  be,  he  was 
the  son  of  the  free-woman.  His  position  and  character^ 
his  standing  and  prospects,  were  all  from  the  Lord. 
"  That  which  is  born  of  the  flesh  is  flesh  ;  and  that  which 
is  born  of  the  Spirit  is  spirit." 

Regeneration  is  not  a  change  of  the  old  nature,  but 
the  introduction  of  a  new :  it  is  the  implantation  of  the 
nature  or  life  of  the  second  Adam,  by  the  operation  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  founded  upon  the  accomplished  redemp- 
tion of  Christ,  and  in  full'  keeping  with  the  sovereign 
will  or  counsel  of  God.  The  moment  a  sinner  believes 
in  his  heart  and  confesses  with  his  mouth  the  Lord 
Jesus,  he  becomes  the  possessor  of  a  new  life,  and  that 
life  is  Christ.  He  is  born  of  God,  is  a  child  of  God,  is 
a  son  of  the  free-woman.  (See  Rom.  x.  9  ;  Col.  iii.  4  ; 
1  John  iii.  1,  2;   Gal.  iii.  26;  iv.  3L) 

Nor  does  the  introduction  of  this  new  nature  alter,  in 
the  slightest  degree,  the  true,  essential  character  of  the 
old.  This  latter  continues  what  it  was,  and  is  made  in 
n®  respect  better ;  yea,  rather,  there  is  the  full  display 
of  its  evil  character  in  opposition  to  the  new  element. 
"  The  flesh  lusteth  against  the  Spirit,  and  the  Spirit  • 
against  the  flesh  ;  and  these  are  contrary  the  one  to  the 
other."  There  they  are  in  all  their  distinctness,  and 
the  one  is  only  throvm  into  relief  by  the  other. 

I   believe   this   doctrine   of  the  two  natures  in  the 


CHAPTER   XXI.  213 

believer  is  not  generally  understood  ;  and  vet,  so  long  as 
there  is  ignorance  of  it,  the  mind  must  be  utterly  at  sea, 
in  reference  to  the  true  standing  and  privileges  of  the 
child  of  God.  Some  there  are,  who  think  that  regene- 
ration is  a  certain  change  which  the  old  nature  under- 
goes ;  and,  moreover,  that  this  change  is  gradual  in  its 
operation,  until  at  length  the  whole  man  becomes 
transformed.  That  this  idea  is  unsound  can  be  proved 
by  various  quotations  from  the  New  Testament.  For 
example,  "the  carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God." 
How  can  that  which  is  thus  spoken  of  ever  undergo  any 
improvement?  The  apostle  goes  on  to  say,  "it  is  not 
subject  to  the  law  of  God,  neither  indeed  can  be."  If 
it  cannot  be  subject  to  the  law  of  God,  how  can  it  be 
improved  ?  How  can  it  undergo  any  change  ?  Again, 
"that  which  is  born  of  the  flesh  is  flesh."  Do  what 
you  will  with  flesh,  and  it  is  flesh  all  the  while.  As 
Solomon  says,  "  Though  thou  shouldest  bray  a  fool  in 
a  mortar,  among  wheat  with  a  pestle,  yet  will  not  his 
foolishness  depart  from  him."  (Prov.  xxvii.  22.)  There 
is  no  use  in  seeking  to  make  foolishness  wise  :  you  must 
introduce  heavenly  wisdom  into  the  heart  that  has  been 
heretofore  only  governed  by  folly.  Again,  "ye  have 
put  oft'  the  old  man."  (Col.  iii.  9.)  He  does  not  say,  Ye 
have  improved  or  are  seeking  to  improve  "  the  old 
man  ;"  but.  Ye  have  put  it  off.  This  gives  us  a  totally 
difterent  idea.  There  is  a  very  great  difference  between 
seeking  to  mend  an  old  garment,  and  casting  it  aside 
altogether,  and  putting  on  a  new  one.  This  is  the  idea 
of  the  last-quoted  passage.  It  is  a  putting  off  the  old 
and  a  putting  on  of  the  new.  Xothing  can  be  more 
distinct  or  simple. 


214  GENESIS. 

Passages  might  easily  be  multiplied  to  prove  \he  im- 
soimdness  of  the  theory,  with  respect  to  the  gradual 
improvement  of  the  old  nature, — to  prove  that  the  old 
nature  is  dead  in  sins,  and  utterly  unrenewable  and  un- 
improveable  ;  and,  moreover,  that  the  only  thing  we  can 
do  with  it  is,  to  keep  it  under  our  feet  in  the  power  of 
that  new  life  which  we  have  in  union  with  our  risen 
Head  in  the  heavens. 

The  birth  of  Isaac  did  not  improve  Ishmael,  but  only 
brought  out  his  real  opposition  to  the  child  of  promise. 
He  might  have  gone  on  very  quietly  and  orderly  till 
Isaac  made  his  appearance ;  but  then  he  showed  what 
he  was  by  persecuting  and  mocking  at  the  child  of 
resurrection.  What,  then,  was  the  remedy  ?  To  make 
Ishmael  better  ?  By  no  means*;  but,  "  cast  out  this  bond- 
woman and  her  son  ;  for  the  son  of  this  bond-woman 
shall  not  be  heir  with  my  son,  even  with  Isaac.'' 
(8-10.)  Here  was  the  only  remedy.  "  That  which  is 
crooked  cannot  be  made  straight;"  therefore  you  have 
only  to  get  rid  of  the  crooked  thing  altogether,  and 
occupy  yourself  with  that  which  is  divinely  straight. 
It  is  labor  lost  to  seek  to  make  a  crooked  thing 
straight.  Hence  all  efforts  after  the  improvement  of 
nature  are  utterly  futile,  so  far  as  God  is  concerned. 
It  may  be  all  very  well  for  men  to  cultivate  and  im- 
prove that  which  is  of  use  to  themselves  ;  but  God  has 
given  his  children  something  infinitely  better  to  do, 
even  to  cultivate  that  which  is  bis  own  creation,  the 
fruits  of  which,  while  they  in  no  wise  serve  to  exalt 
nature,  are  entirely  to  his  praise  and  glory. 

]N"ow,  the  error  into  which  the  Galatian  churches  fell, 
was  the  introduction  of  that  which  addressed  itself  to 


CHAPTER   XXI.  215 

nature.  "Except  ye  be  circumcised  after  the  manner 
of  Moses,  ye  cannot  be  saved."  Here  salvation  was 
made  to  depend  upon  something  that  man  could  be,  or 
man  could  do,  or  man  could  keep.  This  was  upsetting 
the  whole  glorious  fabric  of  redemption,  which,  as  the 
believer  knows,  rests  exclusively  upon  what  Christ  is, 
and  what  he  has  done.  To  make  salvation  dependent 
in  the  most  remote  manner  upon  any  thing  in,  or  done 
by,  man,  is  to  set  it  entirely  aside.  In  other  words, 
Ishmael  must  be  entirely  cast  out,  and  all  Abraham-s 
hopes  be  made  to  depend  upon  what  God  had  done  and 
given  in  the  person  of  Isaac.  This,  it  is  needless  to  say, 
leaves  man  nothing  to  glory  in.  If  present  or  future 
blessedness  were  made  to  depend  upon  even  a  divine 
change  wrought  in  nature,  flesh  might  glory.  Though 
my  nature  were  improved,  it  would  be  something  of  me, 
and  thus  God  would  not  have  all  the  glory.  But  when 
I  am  introduced  into  a  new  creation,  I  find  it  is  all  of 
God,  designed,  matured,  developed  by  himself  alone. 
God  is  the  actor,  and  I  am  a  worshipper ;  he  is  the 
blesser,  and  I  am  the  blessed  ;  he  is  "  the  better,"  and  I 
am  ''the  less  ;"  (Heb.  vii.  7  ;)  he  is  the  giver,  and  I  am 
the  receiver.  This  is  what  makes  Christianity  what  it 
is  ;  and,  moreover,  distinguishes  it  from  eveiy  system  of 
human  religion  under  the  sun,  whether  it  be  Romanism, 
Puseyism,  or  any  other  ism  whatsoever.  Human  Tf- 
ligion  gives  the  creature  a  place  more  or  less  ;  it  keeps 
the  bond-woman  a^d  her  son  in  the  house ;  it  gives  man 
something  to  glory  in.  On  the  contrary,  Christianity 
excludes  the  creature  from  all  interference  in  the  work 
of  salvation  ;  casts  out  the  bond-woman  and  her  son,  and 
gives  all  the  glory  to  him  to  whom  alone  it  is  due. 


216  GENESIS. 

But  let  us  inquire  who  this  bond- woman  and  her  son 
really  are,  and  what  they  shadow  forth.  Galatians  iv. 
furnishes  ample  teaching  as  to  these  two  points.  In  a 
word  then  the  bond-woman  represents  the  covenant  of 
the  law  ;  and  her  son  represents  all  who  are  "  of  works 
of  law,"  or  on  that  principle  (f|  spycov  vofiov).  This  is 
very  plain.  The  bond-woman  only  genders  to  bondage, 
and  can  never  bring  forth  a  free  man.  How  can  she  ? 
The  law  never  could  give  liberty,  for  so  long  as  a  man 
was  alive  it  ruled  him.  (Rom.  vii.  1.)  I  can  never  be 
free  so  long  as  I  am  under  the  dominion  of  any  one. 
But  while  I  live,  the  law  rules  me  ;  and  nothing  but 
death  can  give  me  deliverance  from  its  dominion.  This 
is  the  blessed  doctrine  of  Romans  vii. "  "  Wherefore,  my 
brethren,  ye  also  are  become  dead  to  the  law  by  the 
body  of  Christ,  that  ye  should  be  married  to  another, 
even  to  him  that  is  rciised  from  the  dead,  that  we  should 
bring  forth  fruit  unto  God."  This  is  freedom  ;  for,  "If 
the  Son  shall  make  you  free,  ye  shall  be  free  indeed." 
( John  viii.  36.)  "So,  then,  brethren,  we  are  not  chil- 
dren of  the  bond-woman,  but  of  the  free."     (Gal.  iv.  31.) 

Now,  it  is  in  the  power  of  this  freedom  that  we  are 
enabled  to  obey  the  command,  "  Cast  out  this  bond- 
woman and  her  son."  If  I  am  not  consciously  free,  I 
shall  be  seeking  to  attain  liberty  in  the  strangest  way 
possible,  even  by  keeping  the  bond-woman  in  the  house  ; 
in  other  words,  I  shall  be  seeking  to  get  life  by  keeping 
the  law ;  I  shall  be  establishing  my  own  righteousness. 
No  doubt,  it  will  involve  a  struggle  to  cast  out  this 
element  of  bondage,  for  legalism  is  natural  to  our  hearts. 
"The  thing  was  very  grievous  in  Abraham's  sight, 
because  of  his  son."     Still,  however  grievous  it  may 


CHAPTER  xxn.  217 

be,  it  is  according  to  the  divine  mind  that  we  should 
abidingly  "  stand  fast  in  the  liberty  wherewith  Christ 
hath  made  ns  free,  and  not  be  entangled  again  with  the 
yoke  of  bondage."  (Gal.  v.  1.)  May  we,  beloved  reader, 
so  fully  and  experimentally  enter  into  the  blessedness  of 
God's  provision  for  us  in  Christ  that  we  may  be  done 
with  all  thoughts  about  the  flesh,  and  all  that  it  can  be, 
do,  or  produce.  There  is  a  fulness  in  Christ  which  ren- 
ders all  appeal  to  nature  utterly  superfluous  and  vain. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

Abraham  is  now  in  a  fit  moral  position  to  have  his 
heart  put  to  a  most  severe  test.  The  long-cherished 
reserve  being  put  forth  from  his  heart,  in  Chap.  xx. — the 
bond-woman  and  her  son  being  put  forth  from  his  house, 
as  in  Chap,  xxi.,  he  now  stands  forth  in  the  most 
honored  position  in  which  any  soul  can  be  placed,  and 
that  is  a  position  of  trial  from  the  hand  of  God  him- 
self. There  are  various  kinds  of  trial:  trial  from  the 
hand  of  Satan ;  trial  from  surrounding  circumstances ; 
but  the  highest  character  of  trial  is  that  which  comes 
directly  from  the  hand  of  God,  when  he  puts  his  dear 
child  into  the  furnace  for  the  purpose  of  testing  the 
reality  of  his  faith.  God  will  do  this  :  he  must  hav^e 
reality.  It  will  not  do  to  say,  "  Lord,  Lord,"  or,  "I  go, 
sir."  The  heart  must  be  probed  to  the  very  bottom,  in 
order  that  no  element  of  hypocrisy  or  false  profession 
may  be  allowed  to  lodge  there.  "My  son,  give  me 
thine  heart. ''^  He  does  not  say,  "Give  me  thine  head, 
19 


2fl'  GENESIS. 

« 

or  thine  intellect,  or  thy  talents,  or  thy  tongue,  or  thy 
money;"  but  "Give  me  thine  heart:"  and  in  order  to 
prove  the  sincerity  of  our  response  to  this  gracious  com- 
mand, he  will  lay  his  hand  upon  something  very  near 
our  hearts.  Thus  he  says  to  Abraham,  "  Take  now 
thy  son,  thine  only  son  Isaac,  whom  thou  lovest,  and 
get  thee  into  the  land  of  Moriah,  and  offer  him  there 
for  a  burnt-offering,  upon  one  of  the  mountains  which  I 
will  tell  thee  of."  This  was  coming  very  close  to  Abra- 
ham's heart.  It  was  passing  him  through  a  searching 
crucible  indeed.  God  ''requires  truth  in  the  inward 
parts."  There  may  be  much  truth  on  the  lips,  and 
much  in  the  intellect,  but  God  looks  for  it  in  the  heart. 
It  is  no  ordinary  proof  that  will  satisfy  God,  as  to  the 
love  of  our  hearts.  He  himself  did  not  rest  satisfied 
with  giving  an  ordinary  proof.  He  gave  his  Son,  and 
we  should  aim  at  giving  very  striking  proofs  of  our  love 
to  him  who  so  loved  us,  even  when  we  were  dead  in 
trespasses  and  sins. 

However,  it  is  well  to  see  that  God  confers  a  signal 
honor  upon  us  when  he  thus  tests  our  hearts.  We 
never  read  that  "  the  Lord  did  tempt  Lot."  No  ;  Sodom 
tempted  Lot.  He  never  reached  a  sufficiently  high 
elevation  to  warrant  his  being  tried  by  the  hand  of 
Jehovah.  It  was  too  plainly  manifest  that  there  was 
plenty  between  his  heart  and  the  Lord,  and  it  did  not, 
therefore,  require  the  furnace  to  bring  that  out.  Sodom 
would  have  held  out  no  temptation  whatever  to  Abra- 
ham. This  was  made  manifest  in  his  interview  with 
Sodom's  king,  in  Chapter  xiv.  God  knew  well  that 
Abraham  loved  him  far  better  than  Sodom ;  but  he 
would  make  it  manifest  that  he  loved  him  better  than 


CHAPTER   XXII.  219 

any  one  or  any  thing,  by  laying  his  hand  upon  the 
nearest  and  dearest  object.  ''  Take  now  thy  son,  thine 
only  son,  Isaac."  Yes,  Isaac,  the  child  of  promise; 
Isaac,  the  object  of  long-deferred  hope,  the  object  of 
parental  love,  and  the  one  in  whom  all  the  kindreds  of 
the  earth  were  to  be  blessed.  This  Isaac  must  be  offered 
as  a  burnt-offering.  This,  surely,  was  putting  faith  to 
the  test,  in  order  that,  being  more  precious  than  gold 
that  perisheth,  though  it  be  tried  with  fire,  it  might  be 
found  unto  praise,  and  honor,  and  glory.  Had  Abra- 
ham's whole  soul  not  been  stayed  simply  on  the  Lord, 
he  never  could  have  yielded  unhesitating  obedience  to 
such  a  searching  command.  But  God  himself  was  the 
living  and  abiding  support  of  his  heart,  and  therefore 
he  was  prepared  to  give  up  all  for  him. 

The  soul  that  has  found  all  its  springs  in  God,  can, 
without  any  demur,  retire  from  all  creature  streams. 
We  can  give  up  the  creature,  just  in  proportion  as  we 
have  found  out,  or  become  experimentally  acquainted 
with  the  Creator,  and  no  further.  To  attempt  to  give 
up  the  visible  things  in  any  other  way,  save  in  the 
energy  of  that  faith  which  lays  hold  of  the  invisib-e,  is 
the  most  fruitless  labor  possible.  It  cannot  be  rone. 
I  will  hold  fast  my  Isaac  until  I  have  found  my  r!l  in 
God.  It  is  when  we  are  enabled  by  faith,  to  say  "  God  is 
our  refuge  and  strength,  a  very  present  help  in  trouble," 
that  we  can  also  add,  ''therefore  will  we  not  fear,  tliough 
the  earth  be  removed,  and  though  the  mountains  be 
carried  into  the  midst  of  the  sea."  (Ps.  xlvi.  1.  2.) 

"  And  Abraham  rose  up  early  in  the  morning." 
There  is  ready  obedience.  "  I  made  haste  and  delayed 
not  to  keep  thy  commandments."     Faith  never  stops 


220  GENESIS. 

to  look  at  circumstances,  or  ponder  results ;  it  only  looks 
at  God  ;  it  expresses  itself  thus  :  "  But  when  it  pleased 
God,  who  separated  me  from  my  mother's  womb,  and 
called  me  by  his  grace,  to  reveal  his  Son  in  me,  that  I 
might  preach  him  among  the  Gentiles ;  immediately  I 
conferred  not  with  flesh  and  blood."  (Gal.  i.  15,  16.) 
The  moment  we  confer  with  flesh  and  blood,  our  testi- 
mony and  service  are  marred,  for  flesh  and  blood  can 
never  obey.  We  must  rise  early,  and  carry  out,  through 
grace,  the  divine  command.  Thus  we  are  blessed,  and 
God  is  glorified.  Having  God's  own  word  as  the  basis 
of  our  acting  will  ever  impart  strength  and  stability  to 
our  acting.  If  we  merely  act  from  impulse,  when  the 
impulse  subsides,  the  acting  will  subside  also. 

There  are  two  things  needful  to  a  course  of  steady 
and  consistent  action,  viz.,  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  the  power 
of  action,  and  the  word  to  give  proper  direction.  To 
use  a  familiar  illustration  :  on  a  railway,  we  should  find 
steam  of  little  use  without  the  iron  rails  firmly  laid 
down  ;  the  former  is  the  power  by  which  we  move  ;  and 
the  latter,  the  direction.  It  is  needless  to  add  that  the 
rails  would  be  of  little  use  without  the  steam.  Now, 
Abraham  was  blessed  with  both.  He  had  the  power 
of  action  conferred  by  God ;  and  the  command  to  act 
given  by  God  also.  His  devotedness  was  of  a  most 
definite  character;  and  this  is  deeply  important.  We 
frequently  find  much  that  looks  like  devotedness,  but 
which,  in  reality,  is  but  the  desultory  activity  of  a  will 
not  brought  under  the  powerful  action  of  the  word  of 
God.  All  such  apparent  devotedness  is  worthless,  and 
the  spirit  from  which  it  proceeds  will  very  speedily 
evaporate.     We  may  lay  down  the  following  principle, 


CHAPTER   XXII.  221 

viz.,  whenever  devotedness  passes  bfeyond  divinely- 
appointed  bounds  it  is  suspicious.  ^>  If  it  comes  not  up  to 
these  bounds  it  is  defective ;  if  it  flows  without  them 
it  is  erratic.  T  quite  admit  that  there  are  extraordinary 
operations  and  ways  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  in  which  he 
asserts  his  own  sovereignty,  and  rises  above  ordinary 
bounds ;  but,  in  such  cases,  the  evidence  of  divine 
activity  will  be  sufficiently  strong  to  carry  home  con- 
viction to  every  spiritual  mind ;  nor  will  they,  in  the 
slightest  degree,  interfere  with  the  truth  of  the  princi- 
ple that  true  devotedness  will  ever  be  founded  upon  and 
governed  by  divine  principle.  To  sacrifice  a  son  might 
seem  to  be  an  act  of  most  extraordinary  devotedness ; 
but,  be  it  remembered,  that  what  gave  that  act  all  its 
value,  in  God's  sight,  was  the  simple  fact  of  its  being 
based  upon  God's  command. 

Then,  we  have  another  thing  connected  with  true 
devotedness,  and  that  is  a  spirit  of  worship.  "  I  and  the 
lad  will  go  yonder  and  worshijj.^'  The  really  devoted 
servant  will  keep  his  eye,  not  on  his  service,  be  it  ever 
so  great,  but  on  the  Master,  and  this  will  produce  a 
spirit  of  worship.  If  I  love  my  master,  according  to 
the  flesh,  I  shall  not  mind  whether  I  am  cleaning  his 
shoes  or  driving  his  carriage  ;  but  if  I  am  thinking 
more  of  myself  than  of  him,  I  shall  rather  be  a  coach- 
man than  a  shoeblack.  So  it  is  precisely  in  the  service 
of  the  heavenly  Master :  if  I  am  thinking  only  of  him, 
planting  churches  and  making. tents  will  be  both  alike 
to  me.  We  may  see  the  same  thine  in  angelic  ministry. 
It  matters  not  to  an  angel  whether  he  be  sent  to  destroy 
an  army,  or  to  protect  the  person  of  some  heir  of  salva- 
tion.    It  is  the  Master  who  entirely  fills  his  vision.     As 


3^  GENESIS. 

some  one  has  remarked,  "  if  two  angels  were  sent  from 
heaven,  one  to  rule  an  empire,  and  the  other  to  sweep 
the  streets,  they  would  not  dispute  about  their  respective 
work."  This  is  most  true,  and  so  should  it  be  with 
us.  The  servant  should  ever  be  combined  with  the 
worshipper,  and  the  works  of  our  hands  perfumed  with 
the  ardent  breathings  of  our  spirits.  In  other  words 
we  should  go  forth  to  our  work  in  the  spirit  of  those 
memorable  words,  "  I  and  the  lad  will  go  yonder  and 
worship."  This  would  effectually  preserve  us  from  that 
merely  mechanical  service  into  which  we  are  so  prone 
to  drop, — doing  things  for  doing's  sake,  and  being  more 
occupied  with  our  work  than  with  our  Master.  All 
must  flow  from  simple  faith  in  God,  and  obedience  to 
his  word. 

"  By  faith  Abraham,  when  he  was  tried,  offered  up 
Isaac ;  and  he  that  had  received  the  promises,  offered 
up  his  only-begotten."  (Heb.  xi.  It.)  It  is  only  as  we 
are  walking  by  faith  that  we  can  begin,  continue,  and 
end  our  works  in  God.  Abraham  not  merely  set  out  to 
offer  his  son,  but  he  went  on,  and  reached  the  spot  which 
God  had  appointed.  "  And  Abraham  took  the  wood  of 
the  burnt-offering,  and  laid  it  upon  Isaac  his  son ;  and 
he  took  the  fire  in  his 'hand,  and  a  knife  :  and  they  went 
both  of  them  together."  And  further  on  we  read,  "And 
Abraham  built  an  altar  there ;  and  laid  the  wood  in 
order ;  and  bound  Isaac  his  son,  and  laid  him  on  the 
altar  upon  the  wood.  And  Abraham  stretched  forth 
his  hand,  and  took  the  knife  to  slay  his  son."  This  was 
real  work,  "  a  work  of  faith  and  labor  of  love,"  in  the 
highest  sense.  It  was  no  mere  mockery — no  drawing 
near  with  the  lips,  while  the  heart  was  far  off — no  say- 


CHAPTER   XXII.  223 

mg,  "  I  go,  sir,  and  went  not."  It  was  all  deep  reality, 
just  such  as  faith  ever  delights  to  produce,  and  which 
God  delights  to  accept.  It  is  easy  to  make  a  show  of 
devotedness  when  there  is  no  demand  for  it.  It  is  easy 
to  say,  "  though  all  shall  be  offended  because  of  thee, 

yet  will  I  never  be  offended though  I  should 

die  with  thee,  yet  will  I  not  deny  thee  ;"  but  the  point 
is  to  stand  the  trial.  When  Peter  was  put  to  the  test, 
he  entirely  broke  down.  Faith  never  talks  of  what  it 
will  do,  but  does  what  it  can  in  the  strength  of  the 
Lord.  jN^othing  can  be  more  thoroughly  worthless  than 
a  spirit  of  empty  pretension.  It  is  just  as  worthless 
as  the  basis  on  which  it  rests.  But  faith  acts  "  when 
it  is  tried ;"  and  till  then  it  is  content  to  be  unseen  and 
silent. 

Now,  it  needs  hardly  to  be  remarked  that  God  is 
glorified  in  those  holy  activities  of  faith.  He  is  the 
immediate  object  of  them,  as  he  is  the  spring  from 
whence  they  emanate.  There  was  not  a  scene  in  Abra- 
ham's entire  history  in  which  God  was  so  much  glorified 
as  the  scene  on  Mount  Moriah.  There  it  was  that  he 
was  enabled  to  bear  testimony  to  the  fact  that  he  had 
found  all  his  fresh  springs  in  God, — found  them  not 
merely  previous  to,  but  after,  Isaac's  birth.  This  is  a 
most  touching  point.  It  is  one  thing  to  rest  in  God's 
blessings,  and  another  thing  to  rest  in  himself.  It  is 
one  thing  to  trust  God  when  I  have  before  my  eyes  the 
channel  through  which  the  blessing  is  to  flow;  and 
quite  another  thing  to  trust  him  when  that  channel  is 
entirely  stopped  up.  This  was  what  proved  the  excel- 
lency of  Abraham's  faith.  He  showed  that  he  could 
not  merely  trust  God   for  an  innumerable  seed  while 


2M  GENESIS. 

Isaac  stood  before  him  in  health  and  vig-or;  bnt  Jnst 
as  fully  if  he  were  a  smoking  victim  on  the  altar.  This 
was  a  high  order  of  confidence  in  God  ;  it  was  unalloyed 
confidence  ;  it  was  not  a  confidence  propped  up  in  part 
by  the  Creator  and  in  part  by  the  creature.  No  ;  it 
rested  on  one  solid  pedestal,  viz.,  God  himself.  *'  He 
accounted  that  God  was  able."  He  never  accounted 
that  Isaac  was  able.  Isaac  without  God  was  nothing  ; 
God  without  Isaac  was  every  thing.  This  is  a  principle 
of  the  very  last  importance,  and  one  eminently  calculated 
to  test  the  heart  most  keenly.  Does  it  make  any  differ- 
ence to  me  to  see  the  apparent  channel  of  all  my  bless- 
ings dried  up?  Am  I  dwelling  sufficiently  near  the 
fountain-head  to  be  able,  with  a  worshipping  spirit,  to 
behold  all  the  creature  streams  dried  up?  This  I  do 
feel  to  be  a  searching  question.  Have  I  such  a  simple 
view  of  God's  sufficiency  as  to  be  able  as  it  were  to 
"  stretch  forth  my  hand  and  take  the  knife  to  slay  my 
son."  Abraham  was  enabled  to  do  this,  because  his  eye 
rested  on  the  God  of  resurrection.  *'  He  accounted  that 
God  was  able  to  raise  him  up  even  from  the  dead." 

In  a  word,  it  was  with  God  he  had  to  do,  and  that 
was  quite  enough.  He  was  not  suffered  to  strike  the 
blow.  He  had  gone  to  the  very  utmost  bounds ;  he 
had  come  up  to  the  line  beyond  which  God  could  not 
suffer  him  to  go.  The  Blessed  One  spared  the  father's 
heart  the  pang  which  he  did  not  spare  his  own  heart, 
even  that  of  smiting  his  Son.  He,  blessed  be  his  name, 
passed  beyond  the  utmost  bounds,  for  "  he  spared  not 
his  own  Son,  but  delivered  him  up  for  us  all."  "It 
pleased  the  Lord  to  bruise  him ;  he  hath  put  him  to 
grief."     There  was  no  voice  from  heaven  when,  on  Cal- 


CHAFFER   xxn.  225 

var}^,  the  Father  offered  up  his  only-begotten  Son.  No, 
it  was  a  perfectly  accomplished  sacrifice  ;  and  in  its 
accomplishment  our  everlasting  peace  is  sealed. 

However,  Abraham's  devotedness  w^as  fully  proved 
and  fully  accepted.     ''  For  now  I  know  that  thou  fearest 
God,    seeing   thou   hast    not   withheld   thy  son,    thine 
only  son,  from  me."     Mark,  it  is  "  noii?  I  know."     It 
had  never  been  proved  before.     It  was  there,  no  doubt ; 
and,  if  there,  God  knew  it ;  but  the  valuable  point  here 
is,   that    God    founds   his    knowledge    of   it   upon   the 
palpable   evidence   afforded   at   the    altar   upon   Mount 
Moriah.     Faith  is   ahvays  proved   by  action,   and   the 
fear  of  God  by  the  fruits  which  flow  from  it.     "  AVas 
not  Abraham  our  father  justified    by  w^orks  when  he 
had  offered  Isaac  his  son  on  the  altar  ?"  (James  ii.  21.) 
Who   could   think   of    calling   his   faith   in    question  ? 
Take  away  faith,  and  Abraham  appears  on  Moriah  as  a 
murderer  and  a  madman.     Take  faith  into  account,  and 
he  appears  as  a  devoted  worshipper, — a   God-fearing, 
justified    man.     But    faith   must   be   proved.     "  What 
doth  it  profit,  my  brethren,  though  a  man  say  he  hath 
faith,    and    have    not    works?"    (James  ii.   14.)     Will 
either  God   or  man  be  satisfied  with  a  powerless  and 
profitless  profession  ?    Surely  not.    God  looks  for  reality, 
and   honors  it  w^iere  he   sees  it ;   and  as  for  man,  he 
can  understand  naught  save  the  living  and  intelligible 
utterance  of  a  faith  that  shows  itself  in  acts.     We  are 
surrounded  by  the  profession  of  religion  ;  the  phraseology 
of   faith  is  on  every  lip  *,    but  faith  itself  is  as  rare   a 
gem  as  ever, — that  faith  which  will  enable  a  man  to  push 
out  from  the  shore  of  present  circumstances,  and  meet 
the  waves  and  the  winds,    and  not   only  meet   them, 

P 


226  GENESIS. 

but  endure  them,  even  though  the  Master  should  seem 
to  be  asleep  on  the  pillow. 

And  here  I  would  remark  the  beautiful  harmony 
between  St.  James  and  St.  Paul  on  the  subject  of 
justification.  The  intelligent  and  spiritual  reader,  who 
bows  to  the  important  truth  of  the  plenary  inspiration 
of  holy  scripture,  knows  full  well  that  on  this  question 
it  is  not  with  Paul  or  James  we  have  to  do,  but  with 
the  Holy  Ghost,  who  graciously  used  each  of  those 
honored  men  as  the  pen  to  write  his  thoughts,  just  as  I 
might  take  up  a  quill-pen  or  a  steel-pen  to  write  my 
thoughts,  in  which  case  it  would  be  quite  preposterous 
to  speak  of  a  discrepancy  between  the  two  pens,  inas- 
much as  the  writer  is  one.  Hence  it  is  just  as  impos- 
sible that  two  divinely-inspired  penmen  could  clash,  as 
that  two  heavenly  bodies,  while  moving  in  their  di- 
vinely-appointed orbits,  could  come  into  collision. 

But,  in  reality,  as  might  be  expected,  there  is  the 
fullest  and  most  perfect  harmony  between  those  two 
apostles  ;  indeed,  on  the  subject  of  justification,  the  one 
is  the  counterpart  or  exponent  of  the  other.  St.  Paul 
gives  us  the  inward  principle,  St.  James  the  outward 
development  of  that  principle ;  the  former  presents  the 
hidden  life,  the  latter  the  manifested  life  ;  the  former 
looks  at  man  in  relation  to  God,  the  latter  looks  at  him 
in  his  relation  to  man.  Now  we  want  both  :  the 
inward  would  not  do  without  the  outward ;  and  the 
outward  would  be  valueless  and  powerless  without  the 
inward.  "  Abraham  was  justified  "  when  '*  he  believed 
God  ;"  and  "  Abraham  was  justified  "  when  "he  offered 
Isaac  his  son."  In  the  former  case  we  have  his  secret 
standing ;  in  the  latter,  his  public  acknowledgment  by 


CHAPTER   XXII.  22 T 

heaveii  and  earth.  It  is  well  to  understand  this  dis- 
tinction. There  was  no  voice  from  heaven  when  "Abra- 
ham believed  God,"  though  in  God's  view  he  was  there, 
then,  and  thus  "counted  righteous  ;"  but  "when  he  had 
offered  his  son  upon  the  altar,"  God  could  say,  "now  I 
know  ;"  and  all  the  world  had  a  powerful  and  unan- 
swerable proof  of  the  fact  that  Abraham  was  a  justified 
man.  Thus  will  it  ever  be.  Where  there  is  the  inward 
principle,  there  will  be  the  outward  acting  ;  but  all 
the  value  of  the  latter  springs  from  its  connection  with 
the  former.  Disconnect,  for  one  moment,  Abraham's 
acting,  as  set  forth  by  St.  James,  from  Abraham's  faith, 
as  set  forth  by  St.  Paul,  and  what  justifying  virtue  did 
it  possess  ?  None  whatever.  All  its  value,  all  its  effi- 
cacy, all  its  virtue,  springs  from  the  fact  that  it  was 
ihe  outward  manifestation  of  that  faith,  by  virtue  of 
which  he  had  been  already  counted  righteous  before 
God.  Thus  much  as  to  the  admirable  harmony  between 
St.  Paul  and  St.  James  :  or  rather  as  to  the  unity  of 
the  voice  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  whether  that  voice  be  ut- 
tered by  St.  Paul  or  St.  James. 

We  now  return  to  our  chapter.  It  is  deeply  interest- 
ing to  mark  here  how  Abraham's  soul  is  led  into  a  fresh 
discovery  of  God's  aharacter"  by  the  trial  of  his  faith. 
When  we  are  enabled  to  bear  the  testings  of  God's  own 
hand,  it  is  sure  to  lead  us  into  some  new  experience 
with  respect  to  his  character,  which  makes  us  to  know 
how  valuable  the  testing  is.  If  Abraham  had  not 
stretched  out  his  hand  to  slay  his  son,  he  never  would 
have  known  the  rich  and  exquisite  depths  of  that  title 
which  he  here  bestows  upon  God,  viz.,  "Jehovah  Jireh." 
It  is  only  when  we  are  really  put  to  the  test  that  we 


GENESIS. 

discover  what  God  is.  Without  trial  we  can  be  but 
theorists,  and  God  would  not  have  us  such:  he  would 
have  us  entering  into  the  living  depths  that  are  in  him- 
self,— the  divine  realities  of  personal  communion  with 
him.  With  what  different  feelings  and  convictions 
must  Abraham  have  retraced  his  steps  from  Moriah  to 
Beer-sheba  !  from  the  mount  of  the  Lord  to  the  well  of 
the  oath  !  What  very  different  thoughts  of  God  ! 
What  different  thoughts  of  Isaac !  What  different 
thoughts  of  every  thing  !  Truly  we  may  say,  "  Happy 
is  the  man  that  endureth  trial."  It  is  an  honor  put 
upon  one  by  the  Lord  himself,  and  the  deep  blessedness 
of  the  experience  to  which  it  leads  cannot  easily  be  es- 
timated. It  is  when  men  are  brought,  to  use  the  lan- 
guage of  the  lOtth  Psalm,  "to  their  wits' end,"  that  they 
discover  what  God  is.  Oh,  for  grace  to  endure  trial, 
that  God's  workmanship  may  appear,  and  his  name  be 
glorified  in  us  ! 

There  is  one  point,  which,  before  closing  my  remarks 
on  this  chapter,  I  shall  notice,  and  that  is,  the  gracious 
way  in  which  God  gives  Abraham  credit  for  having 
done  the  act  which  he  had  showed  himself  so  fully  pre- 
pared to  do.  "  By  myself  have  I  sworn,  saith  the  Lord ; 
for  because  thou  had  done  this  thing,  and  hast  not  with- 
held thy  son,  thine  only  son,  that  in  blessing  I  will 
bless  thee,  and  in  multiplying  I  will  multiply  thy  seed 
as  the  stars  of  heaven,  and  as  the  sand  which  is  upon 
the  sea-shore  ;  and  thy  seed  shall  possess  the  gate  of 
his  enemies  ;  and  in  thy  seed  shall  all  the  nations  of  the 
earth  be  blessed  :  because  thou  hast  obeyed  my  voice." 
This  beautifully  corresponds  with  the  Spirit's  Qotice  of 
Abraham's  acting,  as  put  before  us  in  Heb.  xi.  and  also 


CHAPTER    XXII.  229 

in  James  ii.,  in  both  of  which  scriptures  he  is  loolved 
upon  as  having  offered  Isaac  his  son  upon  the  altar. 
The  grand  principle  conveyed  in  the  whole  matter  is 
this :  Abraham  proved  that  he  was  prepared  to  have 
the  scene  entirely  cleared  of  all  but  God  ;  and,  more- 
over, it  was  this  same  principle  which  both  condituled 
and  proved  him  a  justified  man.  Faith  can  do  without 
every  one  and  every  thing  but  God.  It  has  the  full 
sense  of  his  sufficiency,  and  can,  therefore,  let  go  all 
beside.  Hence  Abraham  could  rightly  estimate  the 
words,  "  by  my.^elf  Imve  I  sworn."  Yes,  this  wondrous 
word,  "myself,"  was  every  thing  to  the  man  of  faith. 
"  For  when  God  made  promise  to  Abraham,  because  he 

could  swear  by  no  greater,  he  sware  by  himself. 

For  men  verily  swear  by  the  greater,  and  an  oath  for 
confirmation  is  to  them  an  end  of  all  strife.  Wherein 
God,  willing  more  abundantly  to  show  unto  the  heirs  of 
promise  the  immutability  of  his  counsel,  confirmed  it  by 
an  oath."  The  word  and  oath  of  the  living  God  should 
put  an  end  to  all  the  strivings  and  workings  of  the 
human  will,  and  form  the  immovable  anchor  of  the 
soul  amid  all  the  tossing  and  tumult  of  this  stormj^ 
world. 

Now,  we  must  condemn  ourselves  constantly,  because 
of  the  little  power  which  the  promise  of  God  has  in 
our  hearts.  There  it  is,  and  we  profess  to  believe  it ; 
but  ah  !  it  is  not  that  deep,  abiding,  influential  reality 
Avhich  it  ought  ever  to  be ;  we  do  not  draw  from  it  that 
"  strong  consolation"  which  it  is  calculated  to  afford. 
How  little  prepared  are  we,  in  the  power  of  faith,  in  the 
promise  of  God,  to  slay  our  Isaac  1  We  need  to  cry  to 
God  that  he  would  be  graciously  pleased  to  endow  us 
20  , 


230  GENESIS. 

with  a  deeper  insight  into  the  blessed  reality  of  a  life 
of  faith  in  himself,  that  so  we  may  understand  better 
the  import  of  that  word  of  St.  John :  "  This  is  the 
victory  that  overcometh  the  world,  even  your  faith," 
We  can  only  overcome  the  world  by  faith.  Unbelief 
puts  us  under  the  power  of  present  things ;  in  other 
words,  it  gives  the  world  the  victory  over  us.  A  soul 
that  has  entered  by  the  teaching  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
Into  the  sense  of  God's  sufficiency,  is  entirely  indepen- 
dent of  things  here.  Beloved  reader,  may  we  know 
this,  for  our  peace  and  joy  in  God  and  his  glory  in  us. 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

Tms  little  section  ofinspiration  furnishes  much  sweet 
and  profitable  instruction  to  the  soul.  In  it  the  Holy 
Spirit  sets  before  us  a  beautiful  exhibition  of  the  mode 
in  which  the  man  of  faith  should*  carry  himself  toward 
those  that  are  without.  While  it  is  true,  divinely  true, 
that  faith  makes  a  man  independent  of  the  men  of  the 
world,  it  is  no  less  true  that  faith  will  ever  teach  him 
to  walk  honestly  toward  them.  We  are  told  to  "  walk 
honestly  toward  them  that  are  without;"  (1  Thess. 
iv.  12  :)  "  to  provide  things  honest  in  the  sight  of  all ;" 
(2  Cor.  viii.  21 :)  ''to  owe  no  man  any  thing;"  (Rom. 
xiii.  8.)  These  are  weighty  precepts, — precepts  which, 
even  before  their  distinct  enunciation,  were  duly  ob- 
served in  all  ages  by  the  faithful  servants  of  Christ,  but 
which  in  modern  times  alas  !  have  not  been  sufficiently 
attended  to. 


CHAPTER    XXIII.  231 

The  23d  of  Genesis  therefore  is  worthy  of  special 
notice.  It  opens  with  the  death  of  Sarah,  and  introduces 
Abraham  in  a  new  character,  viz.,  that  of  a  mourner, 
"Abraham  came  to  mourn  for 'Sarah,  and  to  weep  for 
her."  The  child  of  God  must  meet  such  things;  but  he 
must  not  meet  them  as  others.  The  great  fact  of  re- 
surrection comes  in  to  his  relief,  and  imparts  a  charac- 
ter to  his  sorrow  quite  peculiar.  (1  Thess.  iv.  13,  14.) 
The  man  of  faith  can  stand  at  the  grave  of  a  brother  or 
sister,  in  the  happy  consciousness  that  it  shall  not  long 
hold  its  captive,  "  For  if  we  believe  that  Jesus  died  and 
rose  again,  even  so  them  also  which  sleep  in  Jesus  will 
God  bring  with  him."  The  redemption  of  the  soul 
secures  the  redemption  of  the  body ;  the  former  we  have, 
the  latter  we  wait  for.   (Rom.  viii.  23.) 

Now,  I  believe  that  in  purchasing  Machpelah  for  a 
burying-place,  Abraham  gave  expression  to  his  faith  in 
resurrection.  "  He  stood  up  from  before  his  dead." 
Faith  cannot  long  keep  death  in  view ;  it  has  a  higher 
object,  blessed  be  the  ''  living  God"  who  has  given  it. 
Resurrection  is  that  which  ever  fills  the  vision  of  faith  ; 
and,  in  the  power  thereof,  it  can  rise  up  from  before  the 
dead.  There  is  much  conveyed  in  this  action  of  Abra- 
ham. We  want  to  understand  its  meaning  much  more 
fully,  because  we  are  much  too  prone  to  be  occupied 
with  death  and  its  consequences.  Death  is  the  boundary 
of  Satan's  power  ;  but  where  Satan  ends,  God  begins. 
Abraham  understood  this  when  he  rose  up  and  pur- 
chased the  cave  of  Machpelah  as  a  sleeping-place  for 
Sarah.  This  was  the  expression  of  Abraham's  thought 
in  reference  to  the  future.  He  knew  that  in  the  ages 
to  come,  God's  promise  about  the  land  of  Canaan  would 


232  GENESIS. 

be  fulfilled,  and  he  was  able  to  lay  the  body  of  Sarah 
in  the  tomb,  "in  sure  and  certain  hope  of  a  glorious 
resurrection." 

The  sons  of  Heth  knew  nothing  about  this.  The 
thoughts  which  were  filling  the  patriarch's  soul  were 
entirely  foreign  to  the  uncircumcised  children  of  Heth. 
To  them  it  seemed  a  small  matter  where  he  buried  his 
dead  ;  but  it  was  by  no  means  a  small  matter  to  him. 
"  I  am  a  stranger  and  a  sojourner  with  you  :  give  me  a 
possession  of  a  burying-place  with  you^that  I  may  bury 
my  dead  out  of  my  sight."  It  might,  and  manifestly 
did,  appear  strange  to  them  to  make  so  much  ado  about 
a  grave ;  but,  "  beloved,  the  world  knoweth  us  not,  even 
as  it  knew  him  not."  The  finest  traits  and  character- 
istics of  faith  are  those  which  are  most  incomprehen- 
sible to  the  natural  man.  The  Canaanites  had  no  idea 
of  the  expectations  Which  were  giving  character  to 
Abraham's  actings  on  this  occasion.  They  had  no  idea 
that  he  was  looking  forward  to  the  possession  of  the 
land,  while  he  was  merely  looking  for  a  spot  in  which, 
as  a  dead  man,  he  might  wait  for  God's  time,  and  God's 
manner,  viz.,  the  morning  of  resurrection.  He  felt 
he  had  no  controversy  with  the  children  of  Heth,  and 
hence  he  was  quite  prepared  to  lay  his  head  in  the 
grave,  and  allow  God  to  act  for  him,  and  with  him,  and 
by  him. 

"  These  all  died  in  (or  according  to)  faith,  (xafa  TttsTtv,) 
not  having  received  the  promises,  but  having  seen  them 
afar  off,  and  were  persuaded  of  them,  and  embraced 
them,  and  confessed  that  they  were  strangers  and  pil- 
grims on  the  earth."  (Heb.  xi.  13.)  This  is  a  truly 
exquisite  feature  in  the  divine  life.     Those  "witnesses," 


CHAPTER   XXIII.  233 

of  whom  the  apostle  is  speaking  in  Heb.  xi.  not  merely- 
lived  by  faith,  but  even  when  they  arrived  at  the  close 
of  their  career,  they  proved  that  the  promises  of  God 
were  as  real  and  satisfying  to  their  souls  as  when  they 
first  started.  Now,  I  believe  this  purchase  of  a  burying- 
place  in  the  land  was  an  exhibition  of  the  power  of  faith, 
not  only  to  live^  but  to  die.  Why  was  Abraham  so 
particular  about  this  purchase  ?  Why  was  he  so  anxious 
to  make  good  his  claim  to  the  field  and  cave  of  Ephron 
on  righteous  principles  ?  Why  so  determined  to  weigh 
out  the  full  price  "current with  the  merchant?"  Faith 
is  the  answer.  He  did  it  all  by  faith.  He  knew  the 
land  was  his  in  prospect,  and  that  in  resurrection-glory 
his  seed  should  yet  possess  it,  and  until  then  he  would 
be  no  debtor  to  those  who  were  yet  to  be  dispossessed. 

Thus  we  may  view  this  beautiful  chapter  in  a  two- 
fold light ;  first,  as  setting  before  us  a  plain,  practical 
principle,  as  to  our  dealings  with  the  men  of  this  world ; 
and  secondly,  as  presenting  the  blessed  hope  which 
should  ever  animate  the  man  of  faith.  Putting  both 
these  points  together,  we  have  an  example  of  what  the 
child  of  God  should  ever  be.  The  hope  set  before  us 
in  the  gospel  is  a  glorious  immortality ;  and  this,  while 
it  lifts  the  heart  above  every  influence  of  nature  and  the 
world,  furnishes  a  high  and  holy  principle  with  which 
to  govern  all  our  intercourse  with  those  who  are  without. 
"  We  know  that  when  he  shall  appear,  we  shall  be  like 
him,  for  we  shall  see  him  as  he  is."  This  is  our  hope. 
What  is  the  moral  effect  of  this  ?  "  Every  man  that 
hath  this  hope  in  him  purifieth  himself,  even  as  he  is 
pure."  (1  John  iii.  2,  8.)  If  I  am  to  be  like  Christ  by- 
and-by,  I  shall  seek  to  be  as  like  him  now  as  I  can. 


SSM  GENESIS. 

Hence,  the  Christian  should  ever  seek  to  walk  in  purity, 
integrity,  and  moral  grace,  in  the  view  of  all  around. 

Thus  it  was  with  Abraham,  in  reference  to  the  sons 
of  Heth.  His  whole  deportment  and  conduct,  as  set 
forth  in  our  chapter,  would  seem  to  have  been  marked 
with  very  pure  elevation  and  disinterestedness.  He  was 
"  a  mighty  prince  among  them,"  and  they  would  fain 
have  done  him  a  favor ;  but  Abraham  had  learnt  to 
take  his  favors  only  from  the  God  of  resurrection,  and 
while  he  would  pay  them  for  Machpelah,  he  would  look 
to  Mm  for  Canaan.  The  sons  of  Heth  knew  well  the 
vahie  of  "current  money  with  the  merchant,"  and  Abra- 
ham knew  the  value  of  the  cave  of  Machpelah.  It  was 
worth  much  more  to  him  than  it  was  to  them.  "  The 
land  was  worth"  to  them  "  four  hundred  shekels  of  sil- 
ver," but  to  him  it  was  priceless,  as  the  earnest  of  an 
everlasting  inheritance,  which,  because  it  was  an  ever- 
lasting inheritance,  could  only  be  possessed  in  the  power 
of  resurrection.  Faith  conducts  the  soul  onward  into 
God's  future  ;  it  looks  at  things  as  he  looks  at  them, 
and  estimates  them  according  to  the  judgment  of  the 
sanctuary.  Therefore,  in  the  intelligence  of  faith,  Abra- 
ham stood  up  from  before  his  dead,  and  purchased  a 
burying-place,  which  significantly  set  forth  his  hope  of 
resurrection,  and  of  an  inheritance  founded  thereon. 


CHAPTER  XXIY. 

The  connection  of  this  chapter  with  the  two  which 
precede  it  is  worthy  of  notice.  In  Chapter  xxii.  the  son 
is  offered  up ;  in  Chap,  xxiii.  Sarah  is  laid  aside ;  and  in 
Chapter  xxiv.  the  servant  is  sent  forth  to  procure  a  bride 
for  him  who  had  been,  as  it  were,  received  from  the 
dead  in  a  figure.  This  connection,  in  a  very  striking 
manner,  coincides  with  the  order  of  events  connected 
with  the  calling  out  of  the  Church.  Whether  this 
coincidence  is  to  be  regarded  as  of  divine  origin  will,  it 
may  be,  raise  a  question  in  the  minds  of  some ;  but  it 
must  at  least  be  regarded  as  not  a  little  remarkable. 

When  we  turn  to  the  New  Testament,  the  grand 
events  which  meet  our  view  are,  first,  the  rejection  and 
death  of  Christ;  secondly,  the  setting  aside  of  Israel 
after  the  flesh  ;  and,  lastly,  the  calling  out  of  the  Church 
to  occupy  the  high  position  of  the  bride  of  the  Lamb. 

Now  all  this  exactly  corresponds  with  the  contents 
of  this  and  the  two  preceding  chapters.  The  death  of 
Christ  needed  to  be  an  accomplished  fact  ere  the  Church, 
properly  so  called,  could  be  called  out.  "  The  middle 
wall  of  partition"  needed  to  be  broken  down,  ere  the 
*'  one  neiu  man'^  could  be  developed.  It  is  well  to  un- 
derstand this  in  order  that  we  may  know  the  place  which 
the  Church  occupies  in  the  ways  of  God.  So  long  as 
the  Jewish  e,conomy  subsisted  there  was  the  most  strict 
separation  maintained  between  Jew  and  Gentile,  and 

235 


236  GENESIS. 

hence  the  idea  of  both  being  united  m  one  new  man 
was  far  removed  from  the  mind  of  a  Jew.  He  was  led 
to  view  himself  in  a  position  of  entire  superiority  to 
that  of  a  Gentile,  and  to  view  the  latter  as  utterly  un- 
clean, to  whom  it  was  unlawful  to  come  in.  (Acts  x.  28.) 
If  Israel  had  walked  with  God  according  to  the 
truth  of  the  relationship  into  which  he  had  graciously 
brought  them,  they  would  have  continued  in  their,  pe- 
culiar place  of  separation  and  superiority  ;  but  this  they 
did  not  do  ;  and,  therefore,  when  they  had  filled  up  the 
measure  of  their  iniquity,  by  crucifying  the  Lord  of 
life  and  glory,  and  rejecting  the  testimony  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  we  find  St.  Paul  is  raised  up  to  be  the  minister 
of  a  new  thing,  which  was  held  back  in  the  counsels  of 
God,  while  the  testimony  to  Israel  was  going  on.  "  For 
this  cause  I,  Paul,  the  prisoner  of  Jesus  Christ  for  you 
Gentiles,  if  ye  have  'heard  of  the  dispensation  of  the 
grace  of  God,  which  is  given  me  to  you- ward  :  how 
that  by  revelation  he  made  known  unto  me  the  mystery 

which  in  other  ages  was  not  made  known  unto 

the  sons  of  men,  as  it  is  now  revealed  unto  his  holy 
apostles  and  prophets  (i.  e.,  New-Testament  prophets, 

toL^    aytoLi  aTioatoTiOLS   av'tov   xav   rtpo^yjtaii)   by.  the    Spirit  | 

that  the  Gentiles  should  be  fellow-heirs,  and  of  the 
same  body,  and  partakers  of  his  promise  in  Christ  by 
the  gospel."  (Eph.  iii.  1-6.)  This  is  conclusive.  The 
mystery  of  the  Church,  composed  of  Jew  and  Gentile, 
baptized  by  one  Spirit  into  one  body,  united  to  the 
glorious  Head  in  the  heavens,  had  never  been  revealed 
until  Paul's  day.  Of  this  mystery  the  apostle  goes  on 
to  say,  "/was  made  a  minister,  according  to  the  gift 
of  the  grace  of  God,  given  unto  me,  by  the  effectual 


CHAPTER   XXIV.  237 

working  of  his  power."  (Ter.  *7.)  The  apostles  and 
prophets  of  the  New  Testament  formed,  as  it  were,  the 
first  layer  of  this  glorious  building.  (See  Eph.  ii.  20.) 
This  being  so,  it  follows  as  a  consequence  that  the 
building  could  not  have  been  begun  before.  If  the 
building  had  been  going  on  from  the  days  of  Abel 
downwards,  the  apostle  would  then  have  said,  "the 
foundation  of  the  Old-Testament  saints."  But  he  has 
not  said  so,  and  therefore  we  conclude  that,  whatever 
be  the  position  assigned  to  the  Old-Testament  saints, 
they  cannot  possibly  belong  to  a  body  which  had  no 
existence,  save  in  the  purpose  of  God,  until  the  death 
and  resurrection  of  Christ,  and  the  consequent  descent 
of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Saved  they  w^ere,  blessed  be  God  : 
saved  by  the  blood  of  Christ,  and  destined  to  enjoy 
heavenly  glory  with  the  Church  ;  but  they  could  not 
have  formed  a  part  of  that  which  did  not  exist  for  hun- 
dreds of  years  after  their  time. 

It  were  easy  to  enter  upon  a  more  elaborate  demon- 
stration of  this  most  important  truth,  were  this  the 
place  for  so  doing ;  but  I  shall  now  go  on  with  our 
chapter,  having  merely  touched  upon  a  question  of 
commanding  interest,  because  of  its  being  suggested  by 
the  position  of  the  24th  of  Genesis. 

There  may  be  a  question  in  some  minds  as  to 
whether  we  are  to  view  this  deeply-interesting  portion 
of  .scripture  as  a  type  of  the  calling  out  of  the  Church 
by  the  Holy  Ghost.  For  myself,  I  feel  h'appier  in 
merely  handling  it  as  an  iUustratioii  of  that  glorious 
work.  We  cannot  suppose  that  the  Spirit  of  God 
would  occupy  an  unusually  long  chapter  with  the  mere 
detail  of  a  family  compact,  were  that  compact  not  typi- 


238  GENESIS. 

cal  or  illustrative  of  some  great  truth.  "Whatsoever 
things  were  written  aforetime,  were  written  for  our 
learning."  This  is  emphatic.  What,  therefore,  are  we 
to  learn  from  the  chapter  before  us  ?  I  believe  it  fur- 
nishes us  with  a  beautiful  illustration  or  foreshadowing 
of  the  great  mystery  of  the  Church.  It  is  important 
to  see  that,  while  there  is  no  direct  revelation  of  this 
mystery  in  the  Old  Testament,  there  are,  nevertheless, 
scenes  and  circumstances  which,  in  a  very  remarkable 
manner,  shadow  it  forth  ;  as,  for  example,  the  chapter 
before  us.  As  has  been  remarked,  the  son  being,  in  a 
figure,  offered  up,  and  received  again  from  the  dead  ; 
the  original  parent  stem,  as  it  were,  being  laid  aside, 
the  messenger  is  sent  forth  by  the  father  to  procure  a 
bride  for  the  son. 

Now,  in  order  to  the  clear  and  full  understanding  of 
the  contents  of  the  entire  chapter,  we  may  consider  the 
following  points,  viz.,  1,  the  oath ;  2,  the  testimony; 
3,  the  result.  It  is  beautiful  to  observe  that  the  call 
and  exaltation  of  Rebekah  were  founded  upon  the  oath 
between  Abraham  and  his  servant.  She  knew  nothing 
of  this,  though  she  was,  in  the  purpose  of  God,  so 
entirely  the  subject  of  it  all.  So  it  is  exactly  with  the 
Church  of  God  as  a  whole  and  each  constituent  part. 
''  In  thy  book  were  all  my  members  written,  which  in 
continuance  were  fashioned,  when  as  yet  there  were 
none  of  'them."  (Ps.  cxxxix.  16.)  "Blessed  be  , the 
God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  hath 
blessed  us  with  all  spiritual  blessings  in  the  heavenlies 
in  Christ ;  according  as  he  hath  chosen  us  in  him  be- 
fore the  foundation  of  the  world,  that  we  should  be 
holy  and  without   blame   before   him  in   love."  (Eph. 


CHAPTERS   XXIV.  239 

i.  3,  4.)  "For  whom  he  did  foreknow,  he  also  did 
predestinate  to  be  conformed  to  the  image  of  his  Son, 
that  he  might  be  the  firstborn  among  many  brethren. 
Moreover,  whom  he  did  predestinate,  them  he  also  called ; 
and  whom  he  called,  them  he  also  justified  ;  and  whom 
he  justified,  them  he  also  glorified."  (Rom.  viii.  29,  80.) 
These  scriptures  are  all  in  beautiful  harmony  with  the 
point  immediately  before  us.  The  call,  the  justification, 
and  the  glory  of  the  Church,  are  all  founded  on  the 
eternal  purpose  of  God, — his  word  and  oath,  ratified  by 
the  death,  resurrection,  and  exaltation  of  the  Son.  Far 
back,  beyond  the  bounds  of  time,  in  the  deep  recesses 
of  God's  eternal'  mind,  lay  this  wondrous  purpose 
respecting  the  Church,  which  cannot,  by  any  means,  be 
separated  from  the  divine  thought  respecting  the  glory 
of  the  Son.  The  oath  between  Abraham  and  the  ser- 
vant had  for  its  object  the  provision  of  a  partner  for  the 
son.  It  was  the  father's  desire  with  respect  to  the  son 
that  all  led  to  Rebekah's  after-dignity.  It  is  happy  to 
see  this.  Happy  to  see  how  the  Church's  security  and 
blessing  stand  inseparably  connected  with  Christ  and 
his  glory.  ''  For  the  man  is  not  of  the  woman,  but 
the  woman  of  the  man.  Neither  was  the  man  created 
for  the  woman;  but  the  woman  for  the  man."  (1  Cor. 
xi.  8,  9.)  So  it  is  in  the  beautiful  parable  of  the 
marriage-supper  ;  "  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto 
a  certain  king  which  made  a  marriage  for  his  son." 
(Matt.  xxii.  2.)  The  Son  is  the  grand  object  of  all  the 
thoughts  and  counsels  of  God  :  and  if  any  are  brought 
into  blessing,  or  glory,  or  dignity,  it  can  only  be  in 
connection  with  him.  All  title  to  these  things,  and 
even  to   life   itself,  was   forfeited   by  sin  j    but   Christ 


240  GENESIS. 

met  all  the  penalty  due  to  sin ;  he  made  himself 
responsible  for  every  thing  on  behalf  of  his  body  the 
Church  ;  he  was  nailed_k)  the  cross  as  her  representative ; 
he  bore  her  sins  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree,  and  went 
down  into  the  grave  under  the  full  weight  of  them. 
Hence,  nothing  can  be  more  complete  than  the  Church's 
deliverance  from  all  that  was  against  her.  She  is 
quickened  out  of  the  grave  of  Christ,  where  all  l^er 
trespasses  were  laid.  The  life  which  she  has  is  a  life 
taken  up  at  the  other  side  of  death,  after  every  possible 
demand  had  been  met.  Hence,  this  life  is  connected 
with,  and  founded  upon,  divine  righteousness,  inasmuch 
as  Christ's  title  to  life  is  founded  upon  his  having 
entirely  exhausted  the  power  of  death ;  and  he  is  the 
Church's  life.  Thus  the  Church  enjoys  divine  life  ;  she 
stands  in  divine  righteousness ;  and  the  hope  that  ani- 
mates her  is  the  hope  of  righteousness.  (See,  amongst 
many  other  scriptures,  John  iii.  16.,  36;  v.  39,  40;  vi. 
27,  40,  i1,  68;  xi.  25;  xvii.  2;  Rom.  v.  21;  vi.  23; 
1  Tim.  i.  16  ;  1  John  ii.  25  ;  v.  20  ;  Jude  21 ;  Eph.  i'i. 
1-6,  14,  15;  Col.  i.  12-22;  ii.  10-15;  Rom.  i.  17; 
iii.  21-26  ;  iy.  5,  23-25  ;  2  Cor.  v.  21 ;  Gal.  v.  5.) 

These  scriptures  most  fujly  establish  the  three  points, 
viz.,  the  life,  the  righteousness,  and  the  hope  of  the 
Church,  all  of  which  flow  from  her  being  ond*with  him 
who  was  raised  from  the  dead.  Now,  nothing  can  be 
so  calculated  to  assure  the  heart  as  the  conviction  that 
the  Church's  existence  is  essential  to  the  glory  of  Christ. 
"The  woman  is  the  glory  of  the  man."  (1  Cor.  xi.  7.) 
And  again,  the  Church  is  called  ''the  fulness  of  him 
that  filleth  all  in  all."  (Eph.  i.  23.)  This  last  is  a 
remarkable  expression.     The  word  translated  "  fulness" 


CHAPTER  XXIV.  241 

means  the  complement,  that  which,  being  added  to  some- 
thin.GT  else,  makes  up  a  whole.  Thus  it  is  that  Christ 
the  Head,  and  the  Church  the  body,  make  up  the  "one 
new  man,"  (Eph.  ii.  15.)  Looking  at  the  matter  in 
this  point  of  view,  it  is  no  marvel  that  the  Church 
should  have  been  the  object  of  God's  eternal  counsels. 
When  we  view  her  as  the  body,  the  bride,  the  com- 
panion, the  counterpart,  of  his  only-begotten  Son,  we 
feci  that  there  was,  through  grace,  wondrous  reason  for 
her  being  so  thought  of  before  the  foundation  of  the 
world.  Rebekah  was  necessary  to  Isaac,  and  therefore 
she  was  the  subject  of  secret  counsel  while  yet  in  pro-  « 
found  ignorance  about  her  high  destiny.  All  Abraham's 
thought  was  about  Isaac.  "  I  will  make  thee  swear  by 
the  Lord,  the  God  of  heaven,  and  the  God  of  the  earth, 
that  thou  shalt  not  take  a  wife  unto  my  son  of  the 
daughters  of  the  Canaanites,  among  whom  I  dwell." 
Here  we  see  that  the  all-important  point  was,  "  a  wife 
unto  my  son."  "  It  is  not  good  that  the  man  should 
be  alone."  This  opens  up  a  very  deep  and  blessed  view 
of  the  Church.  In  the  counsels  of  God  she  is  necessary 
to  Christ ;  and  in  the  accomplished  work  of  Christ,  di- 
vine provision  has  been  made  for  her  being  called  into 
existence. 

While  occupied  with  such  a  character  of  truth  as 
this,  it  is  no  longer  a  question  as  to  whether  God  can 
save  poor  sinners  ;  he  actually  wants  to  "  make  a  mar- 
riage for  his  Son,"  and  the  Church  is  the  destined  bride, 
— she  is  the  object  of  the  Father's  purpose,  the  object  of 
the  Son's  love,  and  of  the  testimony  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
She  is  to  be  the  sharer  of  all  the  Son's  dignity  and 
glory~  as  she  is  the  sharer  of  all  that  love  of  which  he 
21 


242  GENESIS. 

has  been  the  everlasting  object.  Hear  his  own  words  : 
"  And  the  glory  which  thou  gavest  me,  I  have  given 
them ;  that  they  may  be  one,  even  as  we  are  one  :  I  in 
them,  and  thou  in  me,  that  they  may  be  made  perfect 
in  one  ;  and  that  the  world  may  know  that  thou  hast 
sent  me,  and  hast  loved  them  as  thou  hast  loved  me." 
(John  xvii.  22,  23.)  This  settles  the  whole  question. 
The  words  just  quoted  give  us  the  thoughts  of  Christ's 
heart  in  reference  to  the  Church.  She  is  to  be  as  he 
is,  and  not  only  so,  but  she  is  so  even  now,  as  St.  John 
tells  us,  "  Herein  is  love  perfected  with  us,  that  we  may 
have  boldness  in  the  day  of  judgment :  because  as  he  is, 
.90  are  wem  this  world."  (1  John  iv.  17.)  This  gives 
full  confidence  to  the  soul.  "  We  are  in  him  that  is 
true,  in  his  Son  Jesus  Christ.  This  is  the  true  God  and 
eternal  life."  (1  John  v.  20.)  There  is  here  no  ground 
for  uncertainty.  Every  thing  is  secured  for  the  bride  in 
the  bridegroom.     All  that   belonged  to  Isaac  became 


Rebekah's  because  Isaac  was  hers ;  and  so  all  that 
belongs  to  Christ  is  made  available  to  the  Church. 
'*  All  things  are  yours ;  whether  Paul,  or  Apollos,  or 
Cephas,  or  the  world,  or  life,  or  death,  or  things  present, 
or  things  to  come  ;  all  are  yours,  and  3^0  are  Christ's, 
and  Christ  is  God's."  (1  Cor.  iii.  21-23.)  Christ  is 
"head  over  all  things  to  the  Church."  (Eph.  i.  22.)  It 
will  be  his  joy  throughout  eternity  to  exhibit  -the 
Church  in  all  the  glory  and  beauty  with  which  he  has 
endowed  her,  for  her  glory  and  beauty  will  be  but  the 
reflection  of  his.  Angels  and  principalities  shall  behold 
in  the  Church  the  marvellous  display  of  the  wisdom, 
power,  and  grace  of  God  in  Christ. 

But  we  shall  now  look  at  the  second  point  for  con- 


CHAPTER  XXIV.  243 

> 

sideration,  viz.,  the  testimony.  Abraham's  servant  car- 
ried with  him  a  very  distinct  testimony.  "And  he 
said,  I  am  Abraham's  servant.  And  the  Lord  hath 
blessed  my  master  greatly,  and  he  is  become  great ; 
and  he  hath  given  him  flocks,  and  hercfs,  and  silver,  and 
gold,  and  men  servants,  and  maid  servants,  and  camels, 
and  asses.  And  Sarah,  my  master's  wife,  bare  a  son  to 
my  master  when  she  was  old  ;  and  unto  him  hath  he 
given  all  that  he  hath."  (Yer.  34-36.)  He  reveals 
the  father  and  the  son.  Such  was  his  testimony.  He 
speaks  of  the  vast  resources  of  the  father,  and  of  the 
•son's  being  endowed  with  all  these  in  virtue  of  his 
being  "  the  only-begotten,"  and  the  object  of  the  fa- 
ther's love.  With  this  testimony  he  seeks  to  obtain  a 
bride  for  the  son. 

All  this,  I  need  hardly  remark,  is  strikingly  illus- 
trative of  the  testimony  with  which  the  Holy  Ghost  was 
sent  from  heaven  upon  the  day  of  Pentecost.  "  When 
the  Comforter  is  come,  whom  I  will  send  unto  you  from 
the  Father,  even  the  Spirit  of  truth,  which  proceedeth 
from  the  Father,  he  shall  testify  of  me."  (John  xv.  26.) 
Again,  ''Howbeit  when  he  the  Spirit  of  truth  is  come, 
he  will  guide  you  into  all  truth  ;  for  he  shall  not  speak 
of  himself;  but  whatsoever  he  shall  hear,  that  shall  he 
speak  ;  and  he  will  show  you  things  to  come.  He  shall 
glorify  me  :  for  he  shall  receive  of  mine  and  show  it 
unto  you."  All  things  that  the  Father  hath  are  mine  : 
therefore  said  I,  that  he  shall  take  of  mine  and  shall 
show  it  unto  you.  (John  xvi.  13-15.)  The  coinci- 
dence of  these  words  with  the  testimony  of  Abraham's 
servant  is  instructive  and  interesting.  It  was  by 
teliinsr  of  Isaac  that  he  sought  to  attract  the  heart  of 


244  GENESIS. 

"ilebekah ;  and  it  is,  as  we  know,  by  telling  of  Jesus,  that 
the  Holy  Ghost  seeks  to  draw  poor  sinners  away  from 
a  world  of  sin  and  folly  into  the  blessed  and  holy  unity 
of  the  body  of  Christ.  "  H-e  shall  take  of  mine  and 
show  it  unto  you.*"  The  Spirit  of  God  will  never  lead 
any  one  to  look  at  himself  or  his  work ;  but  only  and 
always  at  Christ.  Hence,  the  more  really  spiritual  any 
one  is,  the  more  entirely  will  he  be  occupied  with 
Christ. 

Some  there  are  who  regard  it  as  a  great  mark  of 
spirituality  to  be  ever  looking  in  at  their  own  hearts, 
and  dwelling  upon  what  they  find  there,  even  though, 
that  be  the  work  of  the  Spirit.  This  is  a  great  mistake. 
So  far  from  its  being  a  probf  of  spirituality,  it  is  a 
proof  of  the  very  reverse,  for  it  is  expressly  declared  of 
the  Holy  Ghost  that  ''he  shall  not  speak  of  himself;" 
but  that,  on  the  contrary,  "he  shall  take  of  mine  and 
show  it  unto  you."  Therefore,  whenever  one  is  looking 
inward,  and  building  on  the  evidences  of  the  Spirit's 
work  there,  he  may  be  assured  he  is  not  led  b}^  the 
Spirit  of  God  in  so  doing.  It  is  by  holding  up  Christ 
that  the  Spirit  draws  souls  to  God.  This  is  very  im- 
portant. The  knowledge  of  Christ  is  life  eternal ;  and 
it  is  the  Father's  revelation  of  Christ  by  the  Holy 
Ghost  that  constitutes  the  basis  of  the  Church.  When 
Peter  confessed  Christ  to  be  the  Son  of  the  living  G'od, 
Christ's  answer  was,  ''Blessed  art  thou,  Simon  Bar- 
jonah  ;  for  flesh  and  blood  hath  not  revealed  it  unto 
thee,  but  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven.  And  I  say 
unto  thee,  that  thou  art  Peter;  and  upon  this  rock  i 
will  build  my  church  ;  ai;d  the  gates  of  hell  shall  nut 
prevail  against  it."  (Matt.  xvi.  17,  18.)     What  rock  r* 


CHAPTER    XXIV.  245 

Peter  ?  God  forbid.  "  This  rock"  (tavtr^  tr;  rtstpa)  simply 
means  the  Father's  revelation  of  Christ  as  the  Son  of 
the  living  God,  which  is  the  onl}'  means  by  which  any 
one  is  introduced  into  the  assembly  of  Christ.  Now 
this  opens  to  us  very  much  the  true  character  of  the 
gospel.  It  is  pre-eminently  and  emphatically  a  reve- 
lation,— a  revelation  not  merely  of  a  doctrine,  but  of  a 
Person, — the  Person  of  the  Son.  This  revelation  being 
received  by  faith,  draws  the  heart  to  Christ,  and  be- 
comes the  spring  of  life  and  power, — the  ground  of 
membership, — the  power  of  feliow^ship.  ''When  it 
pleased  God  ...  to  reveal  his  Son  in  me,"  &c.  Here 
we  have  the  true  principle  of  "the  rock,"  viz.,  God  re- 
vealing his  Son.  It  is  thus  the  superstructure  is 
reared  up ;  and  on  this  solid  foundation  it  reposes,  ac- 
cording to  God's  eternal  purpose. 

It  is  therefore  peculiarly  instructive  to  find  in  this 
24th  of  Genesis  such  a  marked  and  beautiful  illustra- 
tion of  the  mission  and  special  testimony  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  Abraham's  servant,  in  seeking  to  procure  a 
bride  for  Isaac,  sets  forth  all  the  dignity  and  wealth 
with  which  he  had  been  endowed  b}^  the  father ;  the 
love  of  which  he  was  the  object ;  and,  in  short,  all  that 
was  calculated  to  affect  the  heart  and  draw  it  off  from 
present  things.  He  showed  Rebekah  an  object  in  the 
distance,  and  set  before  her  the  blessedness  and  reality 
of  being  made  one  with  that  beloved  and  highh^- 
favored  object.  All  that  belonged  to  Isaac  would  })e- 
iong  to  Rebekah  too,  when  she  became  part  of  him. 
Such  was  his  testimony.  Such  also  is  the  testimony 
of  the  Holy  Ghost.  He  speaks  of  Christ,  the  glory  of 
Christ,  -the  beauty  of  Christ,  the  fulness  of  Christ,  the 


246  GENESIS. 

grace  of  Christ,  "tlie  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ,"  the 
dignity  of  his  Person  and  the  perfectness  of  his  work. 

Moreover,  he  sets  forth  the  amazing  blessedness  of 
being  one  with  such  a  Christ,  "members  of  his  body^ 
of  his  flesh,  and  of  his  bones."  Such  is  the  Spirit's 
testimony  always ;  and  herein  we  have  an  excellent 
touchstone  by  which  to  try  all  sorts  of  teaching  and 
preaching.  The  most  spiritual  teaching  will  ever  be 
characterized  by  a  full  and  constant  presentation  of 
Christ.  He  will  ever  form  the  burden  of  such  teaching. 
The  Spirit  cannot  dwell  on  aught  but  Jesus.  Of  him 
he  delights  to  speak.'  He  delights  in  setting  forth  his 
attractions  and  excellencies.  Hence,  when  a  man  is 
ministering  by  the  power  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  there 
will  always  be  more  of  Christ  than  any  thing  else  in  his 
ministry.  There  will  be  little  room  in  such  ministry 
for  human  logic  and  reasoning.  Such  things  may  do 
very  well  where  a  man  desires  to  set  forth  himself ;  but 
the  Spirit^s  sole  object, — be  it  well,  remembered  fey  all 
who  minister, — will  ever  be  to  set  forth  Christ. 

Let  us  now  look,  in  the  last  place,  at  the  result  of  all 
this.  Truth,  and  the  practical  application  of  truth,  are 
two  very  different  things.  It  is  one  thing  to  speak  of 
the  peculiar  glories  of  the  Church,  and  quite  another 
thing  to  be  practically  influenced  by  those  glories.  In 
Rebekah's  case,  the  effect  was  most  marked  and  decisive. 
The  testimony  of  Abraham's  servant  sank  down  into  her 
ears,  and  into  her  heart,  and  entirely  detached  her  heart's 
affections  from  the  scene  of  things  around  her.  She 
was  ready  to  leave  all  and  follow  after,  in  order  that  she 
might  apprehend  that  for  which  she  had  been  appre- 
hended.    It  was  morally  impossible  that  she  could  he- 


CHAPTER   XXIV.  24Y 

lieve  herself  to  be  the  subject  of  such  high  destinies, 
and  yet  continue  amid  the  circumstances  of  nature.  If 
the  report  concerning  the  future  were  true,  attachment 
to  the  present  was  the  worst  of  follj.  If  the  hope  of 
being  Isaac's  bride,  joint-heir  with  him  of  all  his  dig- 
nity and  glory, — if  this  were  a  reality,  then  to  continue 
.to  tend  Laban's  sheep  would  be  practically  to  despise 
all  that  God  had  in  grace  set  before  her. 

But,  no  :  the  prospect  was  far  too  bright  to  be  thus 
lightly  given  up.  True,  she  had  not  yet  seen  Isaac, 
nor  yet  the  inheritance  ;  but  she  had  believed  the  report, 
the  testimony  of  him,  and  had  received,  as  it  were,  the 
earnest  of  it,  and  these  were  enough  for  her  heart ;  and 
hence  she  unhesitatingly  arises  and  expresses  her  readi- 
ness to  depart  in  the  memorable  words,  "/  will  go." 
.  She  was  fully  prepared  to  enter  upon  an  unknown  path 
in  companionship  with  one  who  had  told  her  of  an  ob- 
ject far  away,  and  of  a  glory  connected  with  him,  to 
which  she  was  about  to  be  raised.  "  I  will  go,"  said 
she,  and  "  forgetting  the  things  which  were  behind,  and 
reaching  forth  toward  the  things  which  were  before,  she 
pressed  toward  the  mark  for  the  prize  of  her  high 
calling."  Most  touching  and  beautiful  illustration  this 
of  the  Church,  under  the  conduct  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
going  onward  to  meet  her  heavenly  Bridegroom.  This 
is  what  the  Church  should  be ;  but,  alas  !  there  is  sad 
failure  here.  There  is  little  of  that  holy  alacrity  in 
laying  aside  every  weight  and  every  entanglement,  in 
the  power  of  communion  witlf  the  Holy  Guide  and  Com- 
panion of  our  way,  whose  office  and  delight  it  is  to  take 
of  the  things  of  Jesus,  and  show  them  unto  us  ;  just  as 
Abraham's   servant  took  of  the   things  of  Isaac,  and 


248  GENESIS. 

showed  them  to  Rebekah ;  and  no  doubt,  too,  he  found 
his  joy  in  pouring  fresh  testimonies  concerning  the  son 
into  her  ear,  as  they  moved  onward  toward  the  con- 
summation of  all  her  joy  and  glory.  Thus  it  is,  at 
least  with  our  heavenly  guide  and  companion.  He  de^ 
lights  to  tell  of  Jesus,  "  He  shall  take  of  mine  and  show 
it  unto  you;"  and  again,  ''he  shall  show  you  things  to. 
come."  Now,  this  is  what  we  really  want, — this  ministry 
of  the  Spirit  of  God,  unfolding  Christ  to  our  souls,  pro- 
ducing earnest  longing  to  see  him  as  he  is,  and  be 
made  like  him  forever.  Naught  but  this  will  ever 
detach  our  hearts  from  earth  and  nature.  What,  save 
the  hope  of  being  associated  with  Isaac,  would  ever  have 
led  Rebekah  to  say,  "  I  will  go,"  when  her  "  brother  and 
her  mother  said,  Let  the  damsel  abide  with  us  a  few 
days,  at  least  ten."  And  so  with  us  :  nothing  but  the. 
hope  of  seeing  Jesus  as  he  is,  and  being  like  him,  will 
ever  enable  or  lead  us  to  purify  ourselves,  even  as  he 
is  pure. 

CHAPTER   XXY. 

In  the  opening  of  this  chapter,  Abraham's  second  mar- 
riage is  set  before  us, — an  event  not  without  its  interest 
to  the  spiritual  mind,  when  viewed  in  connection  with 
what  we  have  been  considering  in  the  preceding  chapter. 
With  the  light  furnished  by  the  prophetic  scriptures  of 
the  New  Testament,  we  understand  that  after  the  com- 
pletion and  taking-up  of  fhe  elect  bride  of  Christ,  the 
seed  of  Abraham  will  again  come  into  notice.  Thus, 
after  the  marriage  of  Isaac,  the  Holy  Ghost  takes  up 
the  history  of  Abraham's  seed  by  a  new  marriage,  to- 


ch-^SjPter  XXV.  249 

gether  with  other  points  in  his  history,  and  that  of  his 
seed  according  to  the  flesh.  I  do  not  press  any  special 
interpretation  of  nil  this :  I  merely  say  that  it  is  not 
without  its  interest. 

We  have  already  referred  to  the  remark  of  some  one 
on  the  book  of  Genesis,  namely,  that  it  is  "  fall  of  the 
seeds  of  things  ;"  and  as  we  pass  along  its  comprehensive 
pages,  we  shall  find  them  teeming  with  all  the  funda- 
mental principles  of  truth,  which  are  more  elaborately 
wrought  out  in  the  I^gw  Testament.  True,  in  Genesis 
these  principles  are  set  forth  illustratively,  and  in  the 
New  Testament  didactically ;  still,  the  illustration  is 
deeply  interesting,  and  eminently  calculated  to  bring 
home  the  truth  with  power  to  the  soul. 

At  the  close  of  this  chapter  we  are  presented  with 
some  principles  of  a  very  solemn  and  practical  nature. 
Jacob's  character  and  actings  will  hereafter,  if  the  Lord 
will,  come  more  fully  before  us  ;  but  I  would  just  notice, 
ere  passing  on,  the  conduct  of  Esau  in  reference  to  the 
birthright,  and  all  which  it  involved.  The  natural  heart 
places  no  value  on  the  things  of  God.  To  it  God's  pro- 
mise is  a  vague,  valueless,  powerless  thing,  simply 
because  God  is  not  known.  Hence  it  is  that  present 
things  carry  such  weight  and  influence  in  man's  estima- 
tion. Any  thing  that  man  can  see  he  values,  because  he 
is  governed  by  sight,  and  not  by  faith.  To  him  the 
present  is  every  thing  :  the  future  is  a  mere  uninfluential 
thing, — a  matter  of  the  merest  uncertainty.  Thus  it 
was  with  Esau.  Hear  his  fallacious  reasoning :  "  Behold, 
I  am  at  the  point  to  die ;  and  what  profit  shall  this 
birthright  do  to  me  ?  What  strange  reasoning  !  IVie 
present  is  slipping  from  beneath  my  feet :  I  will  there- 


250  GENESIS. 

fore  despise  and  entirely  let  go  the  future  I  Time  is 
fading  from  my  view,  I  will  therefore  abandon  all  in- 
terest in  eternity !  "  Thus  Esau  dSspised  his  birth- 
right." Thus  Israel  despised  the  pleasant  land  ;  (Ps. 
cvi.  24)  ;  thus  they  despised  Christ.  (Zech.  xi.  13.) 
Thus  those  who  were  bidden  to  the  marriage  despised 
the  invitation.  (Matt.  xxii.  5.)  Man  has  no  heart  for 
the  things  of  God.  The  present  is  every  thing  to  him. 
A  mess  of  pottage  is  better  than  a  title  to  Canaan. 
Hence,  the  very  reason  why  Esau  made  light  of  the 
birthright  was  the  reason  why  he  ought  to  have  grasped 
it  with  the  greater  intensity.  The  more  clearly  I  see 
the  vanity  of  man's  present,  the  more  I  shall  cleave  to 
God's  future.  Thus  ^  it  is  in  the  judgment  of  faith. 
"  Seeing  then  that  all  these  things  shall  he  dissolved, 
what  manner  of  persons  ought  ye  to  be  in  all  holy  con- 
versation and  godliness ;  looking  for  and  hasting  unto 
the  coming  of  the  day  of  God,  wherein  the  heavens  being 
on  fire  shall  be  dissolved,  and  the  elements  shall  melt 
with  fervent  heat?  Nevertheless  we,  according  to  his 
promise,  look  for  new  heavens  and  a  new  earth,  wherein 
dwelleth  righteousness."  (2  Pet.  iii.  11-13.)  These 
are  the  thoughts  of  God,  and  therefore  the  thoughts  of 
faith.  The  things  that  are  seen  shall  be  dissolved.  What, 
then,  are  we  to  despise  the  unseen  ?  By  no  means.  The 
present  is  rapidly  passing  away.  What  is  our  resource  ? 
"Looking  for,  and  hasting  unto,  the  coming  of  the  day 
of  God."  This  is  the  judgment  of  the  renewed  mind; 
and  any  other  judgment  is  only  that  of  ''a  profane 
person,  as  Esau,  who  for  one  morsel  of  meat  sold  his 
birthright."  (Heb.  xii.  IG.)  The  Lord  keep  us  judging 
of  things  as  he  judges.     This  can  only  be  done  by  faith. 


CHAPTER  XXTI. 

The  opening  verse  of  this  chapter  connects  itself  with 
Chap.  xii.  "There  was  a  famine  in  the  land,  beside  the 
first  famine  that  was  in  the  days  of  Abraham."  The 
trials  which  meet  God's  people  in  their  course  are  very 
much  alike  ;  and  they  ever  tend  to  make  manifest  how 
far  the  heart  has  found  its  all  in  God.  It  is  a  difficult 
matter — a  rare  attainment — so  to  walk  in  sweet  com- 
munion with  God  as  to  be  rendered  thereby  entirely  in- 
dependent of  things  and  people  here.  The  Egypts  and 
the  Gerars  which  lie  on  our  right  hand  and  on  our  left 
present  great  temptations,  either  to  turn  aside  out  of  tho 
right  way,  or  to  stop  short  of  our  true  position  as  ser- 
vants of  the  true  and  living  God. 

"And  Isaac  went  unto  Abimelech,  King  of  the 
Philistines,  unto  Gerar."  There  is  a  manifest  difference 
between  Egypt  and  Gerar.  Egypt  is  the  expression  of 
the  world  in  its  natural  resources,  and  its  independence 
of  God.  "  My  river  is  mine  own,"  is  the  language 
of  an  Egyptian  who  knew  not  Jehovah,  and  thought 
not  of  looking  to  him  for  aught.  Egypt  was,  locally, 
farther  removed  from  Canaan  than  Gerar  ;  and,  morally, 
it  expresses  a  condition  of  soul  farther  from  God.  Ge- 
rar is  thus  referred  to  in  Chap.  x.  :  "  And  the  border 
of  the  Canaanites  was  from  Sidon,  as  thou  comest  to 
Gerar,  unto  Gaza :  as  thou  goest  unto  Sodom,  and 
Gomorrah,  and  Admah,  and  Zeboim,  even  unto  Lasha." 
(Yer.  19.)    We  are  informed  that  "from  Gerar  to  Jeru- 

251 


252  GENESIS. 

salem  was  three  days' journey."  It  was,  therefore,  as 
compared  with  Egypt,  an  advanced  position ;  but  still 
it  lay  within  the  range  of  very  dangerous  influences. 
Abraham  got  into  trouble  there,  and  so  does  Isaac,  in 
this  chapter,  and  that,  too,  in  the  very  same  way. 
Abraham  denied  his  wife,  and  so  does  Isaac.  This  is 
peculiarly  solemn.  To  see  both  the  father  and  the  son 
fall  into  the  same  evil,  in  the  same  place,  tells  us  plainly 
that  the  influence  of  that  place  was  not  good. 

Had  Isaac  not  gone  to  Abimelech,  King  of  Gerar,  he 
would  have  no  necessity  for  denying  his  wife  ;  but  the 
slightest  divergence  from  the  true  line  of  conduct  su- 
perinduces spiritual  weakness.  It  was  when  Peter  stood 
and  warmed  himself  at  the  high-priest's  fire  that  he 
denied  his  Master.  Now,  it  is  manifest  that  Isaac 
was  not  really  happy  in  Gerar.  True,  the  Lord  says 
unto  him,  "sojourn  in  this  land  ;"  but  how  often  does 
the  Lord  give  directions  to  his  people  morally  suitable 
to  the  condition  he  knows  them  to  be  in,  and  calculated 
also  to  arouse  them  to  a  true  sense  of  that  condition  ? 
He  directed  Moses,  in  Num.  xiii.  to  send  men  to  search 
the  land  of  Canaan ;  but  had  they  not  been  in  a  low 
moral  condition  such  a  step  would  not  have  been  neces- 
sary. We  know  well  that  faith  does  not  need  "to  spy 
oiit^^  when  God's  promise  lies  before  us.  Again,  he 
directed  Moses  to  choose  out  seventy  elders  to  help  him 
in  the  work ;  but  had  Moses  fully  entered  into  the 
dignity  and  blessedness  of  his  position,  he  would  not 
liave  needed  such  a  direction.  So,  in  reference  to  the 
setting  up  of  a  king,  in  1  Sam.  viii.  They  ought  not 
to  have  needed  a  king.  Hence,  we  must  always  take 
into   consideration   the   condition   of  an  individual   or 


CHAPTER    XX VT.  253 

a  people  to  whom  a  direction  is  given  before  we  can  form 
any  correct  judgment  as  to  the  direction. 

But  again  it  may  be  said,  if  Isaac's  position  in  Gerar 
was  wrong,  how  do  we  read,  *'  Then  Isaac  sowed  in  that 
land,  and  received  the  same  year  an  hundred-fold  :  and 
the  Lord  blessed  him."  (Ter.  12.)  I  reply,  we  can 
never  judge  that  a  person's  condition  is  right  because  of 
prosperous  circumstances.  We  have  had  already  to  re- 
mark that'  there  is  a  great  difference  between  the  Lord's 
presence  and  his  blessing.  Many  have  the  latter  with- 
out the  former;  and,  moreover,  the  heart  is  prone  to 
mistake  the  one  for  the  other, — prone  to  put  the  blessing 
for  the  presence  ;  or  at  least  to  argue  that  the  one  must 
ever  accompany  the  other.  This  is  a  great  mistake. 
How  many  do  we  see  surrounded  by  God's  blessings, 
who  neither  have,  nor  wish  for,  God's  presence  ?  It  is 
important  to  see  this.  A  man  may  "  wax  great,  and 
go  forward,  and  grow  until  he  becomes  very  great,  and 
have  possession  of  flocks,  and  possession  of  herds,  and 
great  store  of  servants,"  and  all  the  while  not  have  the 
full,  unhindered  joy  of  the  Lord's  presence  with  him. 
Flocks  and  herds  are  not  the  Lord.  They  are  things 
on  account  of  which  the  Philistines  might  envy  Isaac, 
whereas  they  never  would  have  envied  him  on  account 
of  the  Lord's  presence.  He  might  have  been  enjoying 
the  sweetest  and  richest  communion  with  God,  and  the 
Philistines  have  thought  nothing  whatever  about  it, 
simply  because  they  had  no  heart  to  understand  or  ap- 
preciate such  a  reality.  Plocks,  herds,  servants,  and 
wells  of  water  they  could  appreciate  ;  but  the  divine 
presence  they  could  not  appreciate. 

However,  Isaac  at  length  makes  his  way  from 
22 


254  GENESIS. 

amongst  the  Philistines,  and  gets  up  to  Beersheba. 
"  And  the  Lord  appeared  unto  him  the  same  night,  and 
said,  I  am  the  God  of  Abraham  thy  father  ;  fear  not, 
for  /  am  ivith  thee,  and  will  bless  thee  "  (Yer.  24.) 
Mark,  it  was  not  the  Lord's  blessing  merely,  but  the 
Lord  himself.  And  why  ?  because  Isaac  had  left  the 
Philistines,  with  all  their  envy,  and  strife,  and  conten- 
tion behind,  and  gone  up  to  Beersheba.  Here  the  Lord 
could  show  himself  to  his  servant.  The  blessings  of 
his  liberal  hand  might  follow  him  during  his  sojourn 
in  Gerar ;  but  his  presence  could  not  there  be  enjoyed. 
To  enjoy  God's  presence  we  must  be  where  he  is,  and 
he  certainly  is  not  to  be  found  amid  the  strife  and  con- 
tention of  an  ungodly  world  ;  and  hence,  the  sooner  the 
child  of  God  gets  away  from  all  such,  the  better.  So 
Isaac  found  it.  He  had  no  rest  in  his  own  spirit ;  and 
he  assuredly  did  not  in  any  wise  serve  the  Philistines 
by  his  sojourn  amongst  them.  It  is  a  very  common 
error  to  imagine  that  we  serve  the  men  of  this  world  by 
mixing  ourselves  up  with  them  in  their  associations  and 
ways.  The  true  way  to  serve  them  is  to  stand  apart 
from  them  in  the  power  of  communion  with  God,  and 
thus  show  them  the  pattern  of  a  more  excellent  way. 

Mark  the  progress  ill  Isaac's  soul,  and  the  moral 
effect  of  his  course.  "He  went  up  from  thence,"  "  the 
Lord  appeared  unto  him,"  "  he  builded  an  altar,"  "  he 
called  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord,"  "he  pitched  his 
tent,"  "his  servants  digged  a  well."  Here  we  have 
most  blessed  progress.  The  moment  he  took  a  step  in 
the  right  direction,  he  went  from  strength  to  strength. 
He  entered  into  the  joy  of  God's  presence, — tasted  the 
sweets  of  true  worship,  and  exhibited  the  character  of 


CHAPTER    XXVI.  255 

a  stranger  and  pilgrim,  and  found  peaceful  refreshment, 
an  undisputed  well,  which  the  Philistines  could  not 
stop  because  they  were  not  there. 

These  were  blessed  results  in  reference  to  Isaac  him- 
self ;  and  now  observe  the  effect  produced  upon  others. 
"  Then  Abimelech  went  to  him  from  Gerar,  and  Ahuz- 
zath,  one  of  his  friends,  and  Phicol  the  chief  captain  of 
his  armv.  And  Isaac  said  unto  them,  Wherefore  come 
ye  to  me,  seeing  ye  hate  me,  and  have  sent  me  away 
from  you  ?  And  they  said.  We  saw  certainly  that  the 
Lord  was  with  thee  :  and  we  said,  Let  there  now  be  an 
oath  betwixt  us,"  &c.  The  true  way  to  act  on  the  hearts 
and  consciences  of  the  men  of  the  world  is  to  stand  in 
decided  separation  from  them,  while  dealing  in  perfect 
grace  toward  them.  So  long  as  Isaac  continued  in 
Gerar,  there  was  nothing  but  strife  and  contention.  He 
was  reaping  sorrow  for  himself,  and  producing  no  effect 
whatever  upon  those  around  him.  On  the  contrary,  the 
moment  he  went  away  from  them,  their  hearts  were 
touched,  and  they  followed  him,  and  desired  a  covenant. 
This  is  very  instructive.  The  principle  unfolded  here 
may  be  seen  constantly  exemplified  in  the  history  of  the 
children  of  God).  The  first  point  with  the  heart  should 
ever  be  to  see  that  in  our  position  we  are  right  icith 
God,  and  not  only  right  in  position,  but  in  the  moral 
condition  of  the  soul.  When  we  are  right  with  God,  we 
may  expect  to  act  salutarily  upon  men.  The  moment 
Isaac  got  up  to  Beersheba,  and  took  his  place  as  a  wor- 
shipper, his  own  soul  was  refreshed,  and  he  was  used 
of  God  to  act  upon  others.  So  long  as  we  contiuue  in 
a  low  position,  we  are  robbing  ourselves  of  blessing, 
and  failing  totally  in  our  testimony  and  service. 


256  GENESIS. 

Nor  should  we,  when  in  a  wrong  position,  stop  to  in- 
quire, as  we  so  often  do,  ''  Where  can  I  find  any  thing 
better  ?"  God's  order  is,  *'  Cease  to  do  evil ;"  and  when 
we  have  acted  upon  that  holy  precept,  we  are  furnished 
with  another,  namely,  ''  Learn  to  do  well."  If  we  expect 
to  "learn"  how  "to  do  well,"  before  Ave  "cease  to  do 
evil,"  we  are  entirely  mistaken.  "  Awake,  thou  that 
sleepest,  and  arise  from  among  the  dead."  (^x  toiv 
vtx^i^v.)  And  what  then?  "Christ  shall  give  thee 
light."  (Eph.  V.  14.) 

My  beloved  reader,  if  you  are  doing  what  you  know 
to  be  wrong,  or  if  you  are  identified  in  any  way  with 
what  you  own  to  be  contrary  to  scripture,  hearken  to 
the  word  of  the  Lord,  "Cease  to  do  evil."  And  be 
assured,  when  you  have  yielded  obedience  to  this  word, 
you  will  not  long  be  left  in  ignorance  as  to  your  path. 
It  is  sheer  unbelief  that  leads  us  to  say,  "  I  cannot 
cease  to  do  evil  until  I  find  something  better."  The 
Lord  grant  us  a  single  eye  and  a  docile  spirit. 


CHAPTERS  XXYIL— XXXY. 

These  chapters  present  to  us  the  history  of  Jacob, — 
at  least  the  principal  scenes  in  that  history.  The 
Spirit  of  God  here  sets  before  us  the  deepest  instruc- 
tion, first,  as  to  God's  purpose  of  infinite  grace ;  and, 
secondly,  as  to  the  utter  worthlessnCss  and  depravity  of 
human  nature. 

There  is  a  passage  in  Chap.  xxv.  which  I  purposoly 
passed  over,  in  order  to  take  it  up  here,  so  that  we  might 


CHAPTERS    XXVII. -XXXV.  ^^ 

have  the  truth  in  reference  to  Jacob  fully  before  us, 
"  And  Isaac  entreated  the  Lord  for  his  wife,  because  she 
was  barren ;  and  the  Lord  was  entreated  of  him,  and 
Rebekah  his  wife  conceived.  And  the  children  strug- 
gled together  within  her :  and  she  said,  If  it  be  so,  why- 
am  I  thus  ?  And  she  went  to  inquire  of  the  Lord. 
And  the  Lord  said  unto  her,  Two  nations  are  in  thy 
womb,  and  two  manner  of  people  shall  be  separated  from 
thy  bowels ;  and  the  one  people  shall  Be  stronger  than 
the  other  people  ;  and  the  elder  shall  serve  the  yoanger." 
This  is  referred  to  in  Malachi,  where  we  read,  "I  have 
loved  you,  saitli  the  Lord  ;  3"et  ye  say,  wherein  hast  thou 
loved  us  ?  Was  not  Esau  Jacob's  brother  ?  saith  the 
Lord:  yet  I  have  loved  Jacob  and  hated  Esau."  This 
is  again  referred  to  in  Rom.  ix.  :  "  For  the  children  being 
not  yet  born,  neither  having  done  any  good  or  evil,  that 
the  purpose  of  God  according  to  election  might  stand, 
not  of  works,  but  of  him  that  calleth  ;  it  was  said  unto 
her,  The  elder  shall  serve  the  3'ounger,  as  it  is  written, 
Jacob  have  I  loved,  but  Esau  have  I  hated." 

Thus  w^e  have  very  distinctly  before  us,  God's  eternal 
purpose  according  to  the  election  of  grace.  There  is 
much  involved  in  this  expression.  It  banishes  all  hu- 
man pretension  from  the  scene,  and  asserts  God's  right 
to  act  as  he  will.  This  is  of  the  very  last  importance. 
The  creature  can  enjoy  no  real  blessedness  until  he  is 
brought  to  bow  his  head  to  sovereign  grace.  It  becomes 
him  so  to  do,  inasmuch  as  he  is  a  sinner,  and  as  such' 
utterly  without  claim  to  act  or  dictate.  The  great  value 
of  finding  oneself  on  this  ground  is,  that  it  is  then  no 
longer  a  question  of  what  we  deserve  to  get,  but  simply 
of  what  God  is  pleased  to  give.     The  prodigal  might 

R 


358  GENESIS. 

talk  of  being  a  servant,  but  he  really  did  not  deserve 
the  place  of  a  servant,  if  it  were  to  be  made  a  question 
of  desert ;  and  therefore  he  had  only  to  take  what  the 
father  was  pleased  to  give, — and  that  was  the  very  high- 
est place,  even  the  place  of  fellowship  with  himself. 
Thus  it  must  ever  be.  "  Grace  all  the  work  shall  crown 
through  everlasting  days."  Happy  for  us  that  it  is  so. 
As  we  go  on,  day  by  day,  making  fresh  discoveries  of 
ourselves,  we  need  to  have  beneath  our  feet  the  solid 
foundation  of  God's  grace  :  nothing  else  could  possibly 
sustain  us  in  our  growing  self-knowledge.  The  ruin  is 
hopeless,  and  therefore  the  grace  must  be  infinite :  and 
infinite  it  is,  having  its  source  in  God  himself,  its  chan- 
nel in  Christ,  and  the  power  of  application  and  enjoy- 
ment in  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  Trinity  is  brought  out 
in  connection  with  the  grace  that  saves  a  poor  sinner. 
"  Grace  reigns  through  righteousness,  unto  eternal  life, 
by  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord."  It  is  only  in  redemption 
that  this  reign  of  grace  could  be  seen.  We  may  see  in 
creation  the  reign  of  wisdom  and  power  ;  we  may  see  in 
providence  the  reign  of  goodness  and  long-suffering  ;  but 
only  in  redemption  do  we  see  the  reign  of  grace,  and 
that,  too,  on  the  principle  of  righteousness. 

Now,  we  have  in  the  person  of  Jacob  a  most  striking 
exhibition  of  the  power  of  divine  grace ;  and  for  this 
reason,  that  we  have  in  him  a  striking  exhibition  of  the 
power  of  human  nature.  In  him  we  see  nature  in  all 
its  obliquity,  and  therefore  we  see  grace  in  all  its  moral 
beauty  and  power.  From  the  facts  of  his  remarkable 
history,  it  would  seem  that,  before  his  birth,  at  his 
birth,  and  after  his  birth,  the  extraordinary  energy  of 
nature  was  seen.     Before  his  birth,  we  read,  "  the  chil- 


CHAPTERS    XXVII. -XXXV.  259^ 

dren  struggled  together  within  her."  At  his  birth,  we 
read,  "his  hand  took  hold  on  Esau's  heel."  And,  after 
his  birth, — yea,  to  the  turning-point  of  his  history,  in 
Chap,  xxxii.,  without  any  exception, — his  course  ex- 
hibits nothing  but  the  most  un amiable  traits  of  nature  ; 
but  all  this  only  serves,  like  a  dark  back-ground,  to  throw 
into  relief  the  grace  of  him  who  condescends  to  call 
himself  by  the  peculiarly  touching  name,  "  the  God  of 
Jacob," — a  name  most  sweetly  expressive  of  free  grace. 

Let  us  now  examine  the  chapters  consecutively. 
Chap,  xxvii.  exhibits  a  most  humbling  picture  of  sen- 
suality, deceit,  and  cunning  ;  and  when  one  thinks  of 
such  things  in  connection  with  the  people  of  God,  it  is 
sad  and  painful  to  the  very  last  degree.  Yet.  how  true 
and  faithful  is  the  Holy  Ghost !  He  must  tell  all  out. 
He  cannot  give  us  a  partial  picture.  If  he  gives  us  a 
history  of  man,  he  must  describe  man  as  he  is,  and  not 
as  he  is  not. 

So,  if  he  unfolds  to  us  the  character  and  ways  of 
God,  he  gives  us  God  as  he  is.  And  this,  we  need 
hardly  remark,  is  exactly  w^hat  we  need.  We  need  the 
revelation  of  one  perfect  in  holiness,  yet  perfect  in 
grace  and  mercy,  who  could  come  down  into  all  the 
depth  of  man's  need,  his  misery  and  his  degradation, 
and  deal  with  him  there,  and  raise  him  up  out  of  it  into 
full,  unhindered  fellowship  with  himself  in  all  the  reality 
of  what  he  is.  This  is  what  scripture  gives  us.  God 
knew  what  we  needed,  and  he  has  given  it  to  us,  blessed 
be  his  name  ! 

And  be  it  remembered  that  in  setting  before  us  in 
faithful  love  all  the  traits  of  a  man's  character,  it  is 
simply  with   a   view  to   magnify  the  riches  of  divine 


260  GENESIS.     ' 

grace  and  to  admonish  our  souls.  It  is  not  bj  any 
means  in  order  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  sins  for- 
ever blotted  out  from  his  sight.  Tbe  blots,  the  failures, 
and  the  errors  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  have  been 
perfectly  washed  away,  and  they  have  taken  their  place 
amid  ''the  spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect ;"  but  their 
history  remains  on  the  page  of  inspiration  for  the  dis- 
play of  Grod's  grace,  and  for  the  warning  of  Grod^s  people 
in  all  ages ;  and,  moreover,  that  we  may  distinctly  see 
that  the  blessed  God  has  not  been  dealing  with  perfect 
men  and  women,  but  Avith  those  of  "like  passions  as 
we  are  ;"  that  he  has  been  walking  and  bearing  with 
the  same  failures,  the  same  infinnities,  the  same  errors, 
as  those  over  which  we  mourn  every  day. 

This  is  peculiarly  comforting  to  the  heart ;  and  it  may 
well  stand  in  striking  contrast  with  the  way  in  which 
the  great  majority  of  human  biographies  are  written,  in 
which,  for  the  most  part,  we  find  not  the  history  of  men, 
but  of  beings  devoid  of  error  and  infirmity.  Such  his- 
tories have  rather  the  effect  of  discouraging  than  of 
edifying  those  who  read  them.  They  are  rather  histories 
of  what  men  ought  to  be,  than  of  what  they  really  are, 
and  they  are  therefore  useless  to  us, — yea,  not  only  use- 
less, but  mischievous. 

Nothing  can  edify  save  the  presentation  of  God  deal- 
ing with  man  as  he  really  is  ;  and  this  is  what  the  word 
gives  us.  The  chapter  before  us  illustrates  this  very 
fully.  Here  we  find  the  aged  patriarch  Isaac,  standing 
as  it  were  at  the  very  portal  of  eternity,  the  earth  and 
nature  fast  fading  away  from  his  view,  yet  occupied 
about  "savory  meat,"  and  about  to  act  in  direct  oppo- 
sition to  the  divine  counsel,  by  blessing  the  elder  instead 


CHAPTERS    XVII. -XXXV.  261 

of  the  younger.  Truly  this  was  nature,  and  nature 
with  its  "eyes  dim."  If  Esau  had  sold  his  birthright 
for  a  mess  of  pottage,  Isaac  was  about  to  give  away  the 
blessing  for  a  mess  of  venison.     How  very  humiliating  I 

But  God's  purpose  must  stand,  and  he  will  do  all 
his  pleasure.  Faith  knows  this  ;  and,  in  the  power  of 
that  knowledge,  can  wait  for  God's  time.  This  nature 
never  can  do,  but  must  set  about  gaining  its  own  ends 
by  its  own  inventions.  These  are  the  two  grand  points 
brought  out  in  Jacob's  history, — God's  purpose  of  grace 
on  the  one  hand;  and,  on  the  other,  nature  plotting  and 
scheming  to  reach  what  that  purpose  would  have  infal- 
libly brought  about  without  any  plot  or  scheme  at  all. 
This  simplifies  Jacob's  history  amazingly,  and  not  only 
simplifies  it,  but  heightens  the  soul's  interest  in  it  also. 
There  is  nothing,  perhaps,  in  which  we  are  so  lamenta- 
bly deficient,  as  in  the  grace  of  patient,  self-renouncing 
dependence  upon  God.  Xature  will  be  working  in  some 
shape  or  form,  ^nd  thus,  so  far  as  in  it  lies,  hindering  the 
outshining  of  divine  grace  and  power.  God  did  not  need 
the  aid  of  such  elements  as  Rebekah's  cunning  and  Ja- 
cob's gross  deceit,  in  order  to  accomplish  his  purpose. 
He  had  said,  ''  the  elder  shall  serve  the  younger."  This 
was  enough, — enough  for  faith,  but  not  enough  for  na- 
ture, which  must  ever  adopt  its  own  ways,  and  know 
nothing  of  what  it  is  to  wait  on  God. 

Xow,  nothing  can  be  more  truly  blessed  than  the 
position  of  hanging  in  child-like  dependence  upon  God, 
and  being  entirely  content  to  wait  for  his  time.  True 
it  will  involve  trial  ;  but  the  renewed  mind  learns  some 
of  its  deepest  lessons,  and  enjoys  some  of  its  sweetest 
experiences,  while  waiting  on  the  Lord  ;  and  the  more 


262  GENESIS. 

pressing  tne  temptation  to  take  ourselves  out  of  his 
hands,  the  richer  will  be  the  blessing  of  leaving  our- 
selves there.  It  is  so  exceedingly  sweet  to  find  ourselves* 
wholly  dependent  upon  one  who.  finds  infinite  joy  ip 
blessing  us.  It  is  only  those  who  have  tasted  in  any 
little  measure  the  reality  of  this  wondrous  position 
that  can  at  all  appreciate  it.  The  only  one  who  ever 
occupied  it  perfectly  and  uninterruptedly  was  the  Lord 
Jesus  himself  He  was  ever  dependent  upon  God,  and 
utterly  rejected  every  proposal  of  the  enemy  to  be  any 
thing  else.  His  language  was,  "In  thee  do  I  put  my 
trust;"  and  again,  ''I  was  east  upon  thee  from  the 
womb."  Hence,  when  tempted  by  the  devil  to  make 
an  effort  to  satisfy  his  hunger,  his  reply  was,  "It  is 
written,  Man  shall  not  live  by  bread  alone,  but  by 
every  word  that  proceedeth  out  of  the  mouth  of  God." 
When  tempted  to  cast  -himself  from  the  pinnacle  of 
the  temple,  his  reply  was,  "  It  is  written  again,  Thou 
shalt  not  tempt  the  Lord  thy  God."  When  tempted  to 
take  the  kingdoms  of  the  world  from  the  hand  of 
another  than  God,  and  by  doing  homage  to  another 
than  him,  his  reply  was,  "It  is  written.  Thou  shalt 
worship  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  him  only  shalt  thou 
serve."  In  a  word,  nothing  could  allure  the  perfect 
man  from  the  place  of  absolute  dependence  upon  God. 
True,  it  was  God's  purpose  to  sustain  his  Son  ;  it  was 
his  purpose  that  he  should  suddenly  come  to  his 
temple  ;  it  was  his  purpose  to  give  him  the  kingdoms 
of  this  world  ;  but  this  was  the  very  reason  why  the 
Lord  Jesus  would  simply  and  uninterruptedly  wait  on 
God  for  the  accomplishment  of  his  purpose,  in  his  own 
time  and  in  his  own  way.     He  did  not  set  about  ac- 


CHAPTERS  xxvn.-xxxv.  2^ 

complisliing  his  own  ends.  He  left  himself  thoroughly 
at  God's  disposal.  He  would  only  eat  when  God  gave 
him  bread  ;  he  would  only  enter  the  temple  when  seat 
of  God ;  he  will  ascend  the  throne  when  God  appoints 
the  time.  "  Sit  thou  at  my  right  hand,  until  I  make 
thine  enemies  thy  footstool."  (Ps.  ex.) 

This  profound  subjection  of  the  Son  to  the  Father  is 
admirable  beyond  expression.  Though  entirely  equal 
with  God,  he  took,  as  man,  the  place  of  dependence, 
rejoicing  always  in  the  will  of  the  Father ;  giving 
thanks  even  when  things  seemed  to  be  against  him ; 
doing  always  the  things  which  pleased  the  Father ; 
making  it  his  grand  and  unvarying  object  to  glorify 
the  Father ;  and  finally,  when  all  was  accomplished, 
when  he  had  perfectly  finished  the  work  which  the 
Father  had  given,  he  breathed  his  spirit  into  the 
Father's  hand,  and  his  flesh  rested  in  hope  of  the  pro- 
mised glory  and  exaltation.  Well,  therefore,  may  the 
inspired  apostle  say,  *'Let  this  mind  be  in  you,  w^hich 
was  also  in  Christ  Jesus ;  who,  being  in  the  form  -of 
God,  thought  it  not  robbery  to  be  equal  with  God  ;  but 
made  himself  of  no  reputation,  and  took  upon  him  the 
form  of  a  servant,  and  was  made  in  the  likeness  of  men  ; 
and  being  found  in  fashion  as  a  man,  he  humbled  him- 
self, and  became  obedient  unto  death,  even  the  death  of 
the  cross.  Wherefore  God  also  hath  highly  exalted 
him,  and  given  him  a  name  which  is  above  every  name  : 
that  at  the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee  should  bow,  of 
things  in  heaven,  and  things  in  earth,  and  things  under 
the  earth  ;  and  that  every  tongue  should  confess  that 
Jesus  Christ  is  Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father." 
(Phil.  ii.  5-11.) 


264  GENESIS. 

IIow  little  Jacob  knew,  in  the  opening  of  his  history, 
of  this  blessed  mind  !  How  little  was  he  prepared  to 
wait  for  God's  time  and  God's  way  !  He  much  preferred 
Jacob's  time  and  Jacob's  way.  He  thought  it  much 
better  to  arrive  at  the  blessing  and  the  inheritance  by 
all  sorts  of  cunning  and  deception,  than  by  simple  de- 
pendence upon  and  subjection  to  God,  whose  electing 
grace  had  promised,  and  whose  almighty  power  and 
wisdom  would  assuredly  accomplish  all  for  him. 

But  oh  !  how  well  one  knows  the  opposition  of  the 
human  heart  to  all  this  !  Any  attitude  for  it  save  that 
of  patient  waiting  upon  God.  It  is  almost  enough  to 
drive  nature  to  distraction  to  find  itself  bereft  of  all  re- 
source but  God.  This  tells* us  in  language  not  to  be 
misunderstood  the  true  character  of  human  nature.  In 
order  to'  know  what  nature  is,  I  need  not  travel  into 
those  scenes  of  vice  and  crime  which  justly  shock  all 
refined  moral  sense.  No  :  all  that  is  needful  is  just  to 
try  it  for  a  moment  in  the  place  of  dependence,  and  see 
how  it  will  carry  itself  there.  It  really  knows  nothing 
of  God,  and  therefore  cannot  trust  him  ;  and  herein 
lies  the  secret  of  all  its  misery  and  moral  degradation. 
It  is  totally  ignorant  of  the  true  God,  and  can  therefore 
be  naught  else  but  a  ruined  and  worthless  thing.  The 
knowledge  of  God  is  the  source  of  life,— yea,  is  itself 
life  ;  and  until  a  man  has  life,  what  is  he,  or  what  can 
he  be  ? 

Now,  in  Rebekah  and  Jacob,  we  see  nature  taking 
advantage  of  nature  in  Isaac  and  Esau.  It  was  really 
this.  There  was  no  waiting  upon  God  whatever.  Isaac's 
eyes  were  dim  :  he  could  therefore  be  imposed  upon,  and 
they  set  about  doin-g  so,  instead  of  looking  to  God,  who 


CHAPTERS     XXYII.-XXXV.  265 

would  have  entirely  frustrated  Isaac's  purpose  to  bless 
the  one  wliom  God  would  not  bless, — a  purpose  founded 
in  nature,  and  most  unlovely  nature,  for  "  Isaac  loved 
Esau,"  not  because  he  was  the  first-born,  but  "because 
he  did  eat  of  his  venison."     How  humiliating  ! 

But  we  are  sure  to  bring  unmixed  sorrow  upon 
ourselves  when  we  take  ourselves,  our  circumstances,  or 
our  destinies,  out  of  the  hands  of  God.*  Thus  it  was 
with  Jacob,  as  we  shall  see  in  the  sequel.  It  has  been 
observed  bv  another,  that  ''whoever  observes  Jacob's 
life,  after  he  had  surreptitiously  obtained  his  father's 
blessing,  will  perceive  that  he  enjoyed  very  little 
worldly  felicity.  His  brother  purposed  to  murder  him, 
to  avoid  which  he  was  forced  to  flee  from  his  father's 
house  ;  his  uncle  Laban  deceived  him,  as  he  had  de- 
ceived his  father,  and  treated  him  with  greal  rigor; 
after  a  servitude  of  twenty-one  years,  he  was  obliged 
to  leave  him  in  a  clandestine  manner,  and  not  without 
dansrer  of  being  brought  back  or  murdered  by  his  en- 
raged brother ;  no  sooner  were  these  fears  over,  than  he 
experienced  the  baseness  of  his  son  Reuben,  in  defiling 
his  bed  ;  he  had  next  to  bewail  the  treachery  and  cruelty 
of  Simeon  and  Levi  towards  the  Shechemites ;  then  he 
had  to  feel  the  loss  of  his  beloved  wife ;  he  was  next 
imposed  upon  by  his  own  sons,  and  had  to  lament  the 
supposed  untimely  end  of  Joseph  ;  and,  to  complete  all, 
he  was  forced  by  famine  to  go  into  Egypt,  and  there 
died  in  a  strange  land.  So  just,  wonderful,  and  in- 
Btructive  are  all  the  ways  of  providence. " 


*  We  should  ever  remember,  in  a  place  of  trial,  that  what  we  want 
is  not  a  change  of  circumstances,  but  victory  over  self. 

23 


GENESIS. 

This  is  a  true  picture,  so  far  as  Jacob  was  concerned  ; 
but  it  only  gives  us  one  side,  and  that  the  gloomy  side. 
Blessed  be  God,  there  is  a  bright  side  likewise  ;  for  God 
had  to  do  with  Jacob ;  and  in  every  scene  of  his  liffe, 
when  Jacob  was  called  to  reap  the  fruits  of  his  own 
plotting  and  crookedness,  the  God  of  Jacob  brought 
good  out  of  evil,  and  caused  his  grace  to  abound  over 
all  the  sin  and  folly  of  his  poor  servant.  This  we  shall 
see  as  we  proceed  with  his  history. 

I  shall  just  offer  a  remark  here  upon  Isaac,  Rebekah, 
and  Esau.  It  is  very  interesting  to  observe  how,  not- 
withstanding the  exhibition  of  nature's  excessive  weak- 
ness, in  the  opening  of  this  27th  chapter,  Isaac  main- 
tains by  faith  the  dignity  which  God  had  conferred 
upon  him.  He  blesses  with  all  the  consciousness  of 
being  endowed  with  power  to  bless.  He  says,  "  I  have 
blessed  him ;  yea,  and  "he  shall  be  blessed  ....  Behold, 
I  have  made  him  thy  lord,  and  all  his  brethren  have  I 
given  to  him  for  servants  ;  and  with  corn  and  wine  have 
I  sustained  him  ;  and  what  shall  I  do  now  unto  thee,  my 
son  ?"  He  speaks  as  one  who  by  faith,  had  at  his 
disposal  all  the  treasures  of  earth.  There  is  no  false 
humility,  no  taking  a  low  ground  by  reason  of  the  mani- 
festation of  nature.  True,  he  was  on  the  eve  of  making 
a  grievous  mistake, — even  of  moving  right  athwart  the 
counsel  of  God  ;  still  he  knew  God,  and  took  his  place 
accordingly,  dispensing  blessings  in  all  the  dignity  and 
power  of  faith.  "  I  have  blessed  him  ;  yea,  and  he  shall 
be  blessed."  "With  corn  and  wine  have  I  sustained 
him."  It  is  the  proper  province  of  faith  to  rise  above 
all  one's  own  failure,  and  the  consequences  thereof,  into 
the  place  where  God's  grace  has  set  us. 


CHAPTERS   XXVII. -XXXV.  26T 

As  to  Rebekah,  she  was  called  to  feel  all  the  sad 
results  of  her  cunning  actings.  She  no  doubt  imagined 
she  was  managing  matters  most  skilfull}^ ;  but  alas  !  she 
never  saw  Jacob  again  :  so  much  for  management !  How 
difiTerent  would  it  have  been  had  she  left  the  matter  en- 
tirely in  the  hands  of  God.  This  is  the  way  in  which 
faith  manages,  and  it  is  ever  a  gainer.  ''  Which  of  you, 
by  taking  thought,  can  add  to  his  stature  one  cubit  ?•' 
We  gain  nothing  by  our  anxiety  and  planning  ;  we  only 
shut  out  God,  and  that  is  no  gain.  It  is  a  just  judg- 
ment from  the  hand  of  God  to  be  left  to  reap  the  fruits 
of  our  own  devices ;  and  I  know  of  few  things  more 
sad  than  to  see  a  child  of  God  so  entirely  forgetting  his 
proper  place  and  privilege,  as  to  take  the  "management 
of  his  affairs  into  his  own  hands.  The  birds  of  the 
air  and  the  lilies  of  the  field  may  well  be  our  teachers 
when  we  so  far  forget  our  position  of  unqualified  depend- 
ence upon  God. 

Then,  again,  as  to  Esau,  the  apostle  calls  him  "  a 
profane  person,  who  for  one  morsel  of  meat  sold  his 
birthright,"  and  "  afterwards,  when  he  would  have  in- 
herited the  blessing,  he  was  rejected  ;  for  he  found  no 
place  of  change  of  mind,  though  he  sought  it  carefully 
with  tears."  Thus  we  learn  what  a  profane  person  is, 
viz.  one  who  would  like  to  hold  both  worlds  ;  one  who 
would  like  to  enjo}^  the  present,  without  forfeiting  his 
title  to  the  future.  This  is  by  no  means  an  uncom- 
mon case.  It  expresses  to  us  the  mere  worldly  pro- 
fessor, whose  conscience  has  never  felt  the  action  of  di- 
vine truth,  and  whose  heart  has  never  felt  the  influence 
of  divine  grace. 


CHAPTER  XXYIII. 

We  are  now  called  to  trace  Jacob  in  his  movement 
from  under  liis  father's  roof,  to  view  him  as  a  homeless 
and  lonely  wanderer  on  the  earth.  It  is  here  that  God's 
special  dealings  with  him  commence.  Jacob  now  begins 
to  realize,  in  some  measure,  the  bitter  fruit  of  his  con- 
duct, in  reference  to  Esau ;  while,  at  the  same  time, 
God  is  seen  rising  above  all  the  weakness  and  folly  of 
his  servant,  and  displaying  his  own  sovereign  grace 
and  profound  wisdom  in  his  dealings  with  him.  God 
will  accomplish  his  own  purpose,  no  matter  by  what 
instrumentality ;  but  if  his  child,  in  impatience  of 
spirit,  and  unbelief  of  heart,  will  take  himself  out  of 
his  hands,  he  must  expe<3t  much  sorrowful  exercise  and 
painful  discipline.  Thus  it  was  with  Jacob  ;  he  might 
not  have  had  to  flee  to  Haran,  had  he  allowed  G<^d  to 
act  for  him.  God  would,  assuredly,  have  dealt  with 
Esau,  and  caused  him  to  find  his  destined  place  and 
portion ;  and  Jacob  might  have  enjoyed  that  sweet 
peace  which  nothing  can  yield  save  entire. subjection  in 
all  things  to  the  hand  and  counsel  of  God. 

But  here  is  where  the  excessive  feebleness  of  our 
hearts  is  constantly  disclosed.  We  do  not  lie  passive 
in  God's  hand ;  we  will  be  acting ;  and,  by  our  acting, 
we  hinder  the  display  of  God's  grace  and  power  on  our 
behalf  ''Be  still  and  know  that  I  am  God,"  is  a  pre- 
cept which  naught,  save  the  power  of  divine  grace,  can 
enable  one  to  obey.  "  Let  your  moderation  be  known 
unto  all  men.  The  Lord  is  at  hand,  (tyyvj)  Be  careful 
268 


CHAPTERS   XXVTI.-XXXV.  269 

for  nothing,  but  in  every  thing  by  prayer  and  supplica- 
tion with  thanksgiving,  let  your  requests  be  made  known 
unto  God."  What  will  be  the  result  of  thus  acting? 
"  The  peace  of  God,  which  passeth  all  understanding, 
shall  garrison  (^povprjnsi)  your  hearts  and  minds  by 
Christ  Jesus."  (Phil.  iv.  5-t.) 

However,  God  graciously  overrules  our  folly  and 
weakness,  and  while  we  are  called  upon  to  reap  the  fruits 
of  our  unbelieving  and  impatient  ways,  he  takes  occa- 
sion from  them  to  teach  our  hearts  still  deeper  lessons  of 
his  own  tender  grace  and  perfect  wisdom.  This,  while 
it,  assuredly,  affords  no  warrant  whatever  for  unbelief 
and  impatience,  does  most  wonderfully  exhibit  the  good- 
ness of  our  God,  and  comfort  the  heart  even  while  we 
may  be  passing  through  the  painful  circumstances  con- 
•sequent  upon  our  failure.  God  is  above  all;  and,  more- 
over, it  is  his  special  prerogative  to  bring  good  out  of 
evil ;  to  make  the  eater  yield  meat,  and  the  strong 
yield  sweetness ;  and  hence,  while  it  is  quite  true  that 
Jacob  was  compelled  to  be  an  exile  from  his  father's 
roof  in  consequence  of  his  own  restless  and  /leceitful 
acting,  it  is  equally  true  that  he  never  could  have 
learnt  the  meaning  of  "Bethel"  had  he  been  quietly  at 
home.  Thus  the  two  sides  of  the  picture  are  strongly 
marked  in  every  scene  of  Jacob's  history.  It  was 
when  he  was  driven,  by  his  own  folly,  from  Isaac's 
house,  that  he  was  led  to  taste,  in  some  measure,  the 
blessedness  and  solemnity  of  "God's  house." 

"  And  Jacob  went  out  from  Beersheba.  and  went 
toward  Ilaran.  And  he  lighted  upon  a  certain  place, 
and  tarried  there  all  night,  because  the  sim  was  set ; 
and  he  took  of  the  stones  of  that  place  and  put  them 


210  GENESIS. 

for  his  pillows,  and  lay  down  in  that  place  to  sleep." 
Here  we  find  the  homeless  wanderer  just  in  the  very 
position  in  which  God  could  meet  him,  and  in  which 
he  could  unfold  his  purposes  of  grace  and  glory. 
Nothing  could  possibl}^  be  more  expressive  of  helpless- 
ness and  nothingness  than  Jacob's  condition  as  here  set 
before  us.  Beneath  the  open  canopy  of  heaven,  with  a 
pillow  of  stone,  in  the  helpless  condition  of  sleep.  Thus 
it  was  that  the  God  of  Bethel  unfolded  to  Jacob  his 
purposes  respecting  him  and  his  seed.  "  And  he  dreamed, 
and  behold  a  ladder  set  up  on  the  earth,  and  the  top  of 
it  reached  to  heaven :  and  behold  the  angels  of  God 
ascending  and  descending  on  it.  And  behold  the  Lord 
stood  above  it,  and  said,  I  am  the  Lord  God  of  Abraham 
thy  father,  and  the  God  of  Isaac :  the  land  whereon  thou 
liest,  to  thee  will  I  give  it,  and  to  thy  seed.  And  thy. 
seed  shall  be  as  the  dust  of  the  earth,  and  thou  shalt 
spread  abroad  to  the  west,  and  to  the  east,  and  to  the 
north  and  to  the  south :  and  in  thee  and  in  thy  seed 
shall  all  the  families  of  the  earth  be  blessed.  And, 
behold,  I  am  with  thee,  and  will  keep  thee  in  all  places 
whither  thou  goest,  and  will  bring  thee  again  into  this 
land  ;  for  I  will  not  leave  thee,  until  I  have  done  that 
which  I  have  spoken  to  thee  of." 

Here  we  have,  indeed,  "grace  and  glory."  The  lad- 
der "set  on  the  earth^^  naturally  leads  the  heart  to 
meditate  on  the  display  of  God's  grace,  in  the  Person  and 
work  of  his  Son.  On  the  earth  it  was  that  the  won- 
drous work  was  accomplished  which  forms  the  basis,  the 
strong  and  everlasting  basis,  of  all  the  divine  counsels 
in  reference  to  Israel,  the  Church,  and  the  world  at 
large.     On  the  earth  it  was  that  Jesus  lived,  labored, 


CHAPTERS    XX  Vn. -XXXV.  271 

and  died  ;  that  through  his  death  he  might  remove  out 
of  the  way  every  obstacle  to  the  accomplishment  of  the 
divine  purpose  of  blessing  to  man. 

But  ''the  top  of  the  ladder  reached  to  heaven."  It 
formed  the  medium  of  communication  between  heaven 
and  earth ;  and  "  behold  the  angels  of  God  ascending 
and  descending  upon  it," — striking  and  beautiful  picture^ 
of  him  by  whom  God  has  come  down  into  all  the  depth 
of  man's  need,  and  by  whom  also  he  has  brought  man 
up  and  set  him  in  his  own  presence  forever,  in  the  power 
of  divine  righteousness  !  God  has  made  provision  for 
the  accomplishment  of  all  his  plans,  despite  of  man's 
folly  and  sin  ;  and  it  is  for  the  everlasting  joy  of  any 
soul  to  find  itself,  by  the  teaching  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
within  the  limits  of  God's  gracious  purpose. 

The  prophet  Hosea  leads  us  on  to  the  time  when  that 
which  was  foreshadowed  by  Jacob's  ladder  shall  have 
its  full  accomplishment.  *'  And  in  that  day  I  will  make 
a  covenant  for  them  with  the  beasts  of  the  field, 
and  with  the  fowls  of  heaven,  and  with  the  creeping 
things  of  the  ground  :  and  I  will  break  the  bow,  and 
the  sword,  and  the  battle,  out  of  the  earth,  and  will 
make  them  to  lie  down  safely.  And  I  will  betroth  thee 
unto  me  forever ;  yea,  I  will  betroth  thee  unto  me  in 
righteousness,  and  in  judgment,  and  in  loving-kindness, 
and  in  mercies  ;  I  will  even  betroth  thee  unto  me  in 
faithfulness ;  and  thou  shalt  know  the  Lord.  And  it 
shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day,  I  will  hear,  saith  the 
Lord,  I  will  hear  the  heavens,  and  they  shall  hear  the 
earth  ;  and  the  earth  shall  hear  the  com,  and  the  wine, 
and  the  oil ;  and  they  shall  hear  Jezreel.  And  I  will 
sow  her  unto  me  in  the  earth ;  and  I  will  have  mercy 


2*12  GENESIS. 

upon  her  that  had  not  obtained  mercy ;  and  I  will  say- 
to  them  which  were  not  my  people,  Thou  art  my  peo- 
ple;  and  they  shall  say,  Thou  art  my  God."  (Hosea 
ii.  18-23.)  There  is  also  an  expression  in  the  first 
chapter  of  John,  bearing  upon  Jacob's  remarkable 
vision ;  it  is  Christ's  word  to  Nathanael,  "  Yerily, 
verily,  I  say  unto  you,  hereafter  ye  shall  see  heaven 
open,  and  the  angels  of  God  ascending  and  descending 
upon  the  Son  of  man."     (Yer.  51.) 

Now,  this  vision  of  Jacob's  is  a  very  blessed  dis- 
closure of  divine  grace  to  Israel.  We  have  been  led  to 
see  something  of  Jacob's  real  character,  something,  too, 
of  his  real  condition  ;  both  were  evidently  such  as  to 
show  that  it  should  either  be  divine  grace  for  him,  or 
nothing.  By  birth  he  had  no  claim;  nor  yet  by  charac- 
ter. Esau  might  put  forward  some  claim  on  both  these 
grounds ;  i.  e.,  provided  God's  prerogative  were  set  aside ; 
but  Jacob  had  no  claim  whatsoever ;  and  hence,  w^hile 
Esau  could  only  stand  upon  the  exclusion  of  God's  pre- 
rogative, Jacob  could  only  stand  upon  the  introduction 
and  establishment  thereof.  Jacob  was  such  a  sinner, 
and  so  utterly  divested  of  all  claim,  both  by  birth  and 
by  practice,  that  he  had  nothing  whatever  to  rest  upon 
save  God's  purpose  of  pure,  free,  and  sovereign  grace. 
Hence,  in  the  revelation  which  the  Lord  makes  to  his 
chosen  servant,  in  the  passage  just  quoted,  it  is  a  simple 
record  or  prediction  of  what  he  himself  would  yet  do. 
"  J  am  ....  /  will  give  ....  7  will  keep  .  .  .  .  /  will 
bring  ....  I  will  not  leave  thee  until  1  have  done  that 
which  I  have  spoken  to  thee  of."  It  was  all  him- 
self. There  is  no  condition  whatever.  No  if  or  hut ; 
for  when  grace  acts  there  can  be  no  such  thing.     Where 


CHAPTERS     XXVII. -XXXV.  21 S 

there  is  an  if,  it  cannot  possibly  be  grace.  Xot  that 
God  cannot  put  man  into  a  position  of  responsibility  in 
which  he  must  needs  address  him  with  an  "if."  We 
know  he  can ;  but  Jacob  asleep  on  a  pillow  of  stone 
was  not  in  a  position  of  responsibility,  but  of  the  deep- 
est helplessness  and  need  ;  and  therefore  he  was  in  a 
position  to  receive  a  revelation  of  the  fullest,  richest, 
and  most  unconditional  grace. 

Now,  we  cannot  but  own  the  blessedness  of  being  in 
such  a  condition  that  we  have  nothing  to  rest  upon, 
save  God  himself;  and,  moreover,  that  it  is  in  the 
most  perfect  establishment  of  God's  own  character  and 
prerogative  that  we  obtain  all  our  true  joy  and  blessing. 
According  to  this  principle,  it  would  be  an  irreparable 
loss  to  us  to  have  any  ground  of  our  own  to  stand  upon, 
for  in  that  case  God  should  address  us  on  the  ground  of 
responsibility,  and  failure  would  then  be  inevitable. 
Jacob  was  so  bad,  that  none  but  God  himself  could  do 
for  him. 

And,  be  it  remarked,  that  it  was  his  failure  in  the 
habitual  recognition  of  this  that  led  him  into  so  much 
sorrow  and  pressure.  God's  revelation  of  himself  is 
one  thing,  and  our  resting  in  that  revelation  is  quite 
another.  God  shows  himself  to  Jacob,  in  infinite 
grace  ;  but  no  sooner  does  Jacob  awake  out  of  sleep, 
than  we  find  him  developing  his  true  character,  and 
proving  how  little  he  knew,  practically,  of  the  blessed 
One  who  had  just  been  revealing  himself  so  marv^el- 
lously  to  him.  "  He  was  afraid,  and  said,  How  dreadful 
is  this  place  !  This  is  none  other  but  the  house  of 
God,  and  this  is  the  gate  of  heaven."  His  heart  was 
not  at  home  in  the.  presence  of  God ;  nor  can  any  heart 

S 


274  GENESIS. 

be  so  until  it  has  been  thoroughly  emptied  and  broken. 
God  is  at  home,  blessed  be  his  name,  with  a  broken 
heart,  and  a  broken  heart  at  home  with  him.  But 
Jacob's  heart  was  not  yet  in  this  condition  ;  nor  had  he 
yet  learnt  to  repose,  like  a  little  child,  in  the  perfect  love 
of  one  who  could  say,  ''Jacob  have  I  loved."  "Perfect 
love  casteth  out  fear;"  but  where  such  love  is  not 
known  and  fully  realized,  there  will  always  be  a  measure 
of  uneasiness  and  perturbation.  God's  house  and  God's 
presence  are  not  dreadful  to  a  soul  who  knows  the  love 
of  God  as  expressed  in  the  perfect  sacrifice  of  Christ. 
Such  a  soul  is  rather  led  to  say,  "Lord,  I  have  loved 
the  habitation  of  thy  house,  and  the  place  where  thine 
honor  dwelleth."  (Ps.  xxvi.  8.)  And  again,  "  One  thing 
have  I  desired  of  the  Lord,  that  will  I  seek  after ;  that  I 
may  dwell  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  all  the  days  of  my  life, 
to  behold  the  beauty  of  the  Lord,  and  to  inquire  in  his 
temple."  (Ps.  xxvii.  4.)  And  again,  "How  amiable  are 
thy  tabernacles,  O  Lord  of  hosts  !  My  soul  longeth, 
yea,  even  fainteth,  for  the  courts  of  the  Lord."  (Ps. 
Ixxxiv.)  When  the  heart  is  established  in  the  know- 
ledge of  God,  it  will  assuredly  love  his  house,  what- 
ever the  character  of  that  house  may  be,  whether  it  be 
Bethel,  or  the  temple  at  Jerusalem,  or  the  Church  now 
composed  of  all  true  believers,  "  builded  together  for  an 
habitation  of  God  through  the  Spirit."  However, 
Jacob's  knowledge,  both  of  God  and  his  house,  was 
very  shallow,  at  that  point  in  his  history  on  which  we 
are  now  dwelling. 

We  shall  have  occasion,  again,  to  refer  to  some  prin- 
ciples connected  with  Bethel ;  and  shall  now  close  our 
meditations  upon  this  chapter  with  a  brief  notice  of 


CHAPTERS   XX Vn. -XXXV.  275 

Jacob's  bargain  with  God,  so  truly  characteristic  of  him, 
and  so  demonstrative  of  the  truth  of  the  statement  with 
respect  to  the  shallowness  of  his  knowledge  of  the 
divine  character.  "And  Jacob  vowed  a  vow,  saying,  If 
God  will  be  with  me,  and  will  keep  me  in  this  way  that 
I  go,  and  will  give  me  bread  to  eat,  and  raiment  to  put 
on,  so  that  I  come  again  to  my  Father's  house  in  peace  ; 
then  shall  the  Lord  be  my  God ;  and  this  stone,  which 
I  have  set  for  a  pillar,  shall  be  God's  house  :  and  of  all 
that  thou  shalt  give  me,  I  will  surely  give  the  tenth 
unto  thee."  Observe,  ''  if  God  will  be  with  me."  Now, 
the  Lord  had  just  said,  emphatically,  "■  I  am  with  thee, 
and  will  keep  thee  in  all  places  whither  thou  goest,  and 
will  bring  thee  again  into  this  land,"  &c.  And  yet 
poor  Jacob's  heart  cannot  get  beyond  an  "^/*;"  nor,  in 
its  thoughts  of  God's  goodness,  can  it  rise  higher  than 
*'  bread  to  eat,  and  raiment  to  put  on."  Such  were  the 
thoughts  of  one  who  had  just  seen  the  magnificent  vision 
of  the  ladder  reaching  from  earth  to  heaven,  with  the 
Lord  standing  above,  and  promising  an  innumerable 
seed  and  an  everlasting  possession.  Jacob  was  evidently 
unable  to  enter  into  the  reality  and  fulness  of  God's 
thoughts.  He  measured  God  by  himself,  and  thus 
utterly  failed  to  apprehend  him.  In  short,  Jacob  had 
not  yet  really  got  to  the  end  of  himself;  and  hence  he 
had  not  really  begun  with  God. 


f  Tt 


CHAPTERS   XXIX.— XXXL 

•  "  Then  Jacob  went  on  his  journey,  and  came  into  the 
land  of  the  people  of  the  east."  As  we  have  just  seen, 
in  Chap,  xxviii.,  Jacob  utterly  fails  in  the  apprehension 
of  God's  real  character,  and  meets  all  the  rich  grace  of 
Bethel  with  an  "if,"  and  a  miserable  bargain  about 
food  and  raiment.  We  now  follow  him  into  a  scene  of 
thorough  bargain-making.  "  Whatsoever  a  man  soweth, 
that  shall  he  also  reap."  There  is  no  possibility  of 
escaping  from  this.  Jacob  had  not  yet  found  his  true 
level  in  the  presence  of  God;  and  therefore  God  uses 
circumstances  to  chasten  and  break  him  down. 

This  is  the  real  secret  of  much,  very  much,  of  our 
sorrow  and  trial  in  the  world.  Our  hearts  have  never 
been  really  broken  before  the  Lord  ;  we  have  never  been 
self-judged  and  self-emptied  ;  and  hence,  again  and  again, 
we,  as  it  wore,  knock  our  heads  against  the  wall.  No 
one  can  really  enjoy  God  until  he  has  got  to  the  bottom 
of  self,  and  for  this  plain  reason,  that  God  has  begun 
the  display  of  himself  at  the  very  point  at  which  the 
end  of  flesh  is  seen.  If,  therefore,  I  have  not  reached 
the  end  of  my  flesh,  in  the  deep  and  positive  experience 
of  my  soul,  it  is  morally  impossible  that  I  can  have 
any  thing  like  a  just  apprehension  of  God's  character. 
But  I  must,  in  some  way  or  other,  be  conducted  to  the 
true  measure  of  nature.  To  accomplish  this  end,  the 
Lord  makes  use  of  various  agencies  which,  no  matter 
what  they  are,  are  only  effectual  when  used  by  him  for 
the  purpose  of  disclosing,  in  our  view,  the  true  character 
2t6 


cnAn:ERS  xxvii. — xxxv.  27 T 

of  all  that  is  in  our  hearts.  How  often  do  we  find,  as 
in  Jacob's  case,  that  even  although  the  Lord  may  come 
near  to  us  and  speak  in  our  ears,  yet  we  do  not  under- 
stand his  voice  or  take  our  true  place  in  his  presence. 
"  The  Lord  is  in  this  place,  and  I  knew  it  not  ..... 
How  dreadful  is  this  place  !"  Jacob  learnt  nothing  by 
all  this,  and  it  therefore  needed  twenty  years  of  ter- 
rible schooling,  and  that,  too,  in  a  school  marvellously 
adapted  to  his  flesh ;  and  even  that,  as  we  shall  see,  was 
not  sufficient  to  break  him  down. 

However,  it  is  remarkable  to  see  how  he  gets  back 
into  an  atmosphere  so  entirely  suited  to  his  moral  con- 
stitution. The  bargain-making  Jacob  meets  with  the 
bargain-making  Laban,  and  they  are  both  seen  as  it 
were,  straining  every  nerve  to  outwit  each  other.  Nor 
can  we  wonder  at  Laban,  for  he  had  never  been  at 
Bethel :  he  had  seen  no  open  heaven  with  a  ladder 
reaching  from  thence  to  earth ;  he  had  heard  no  mag- 
nificent promises  from  the  lips  of  Jehovah,  securing  to 
him  all  the  land  of  Canaan,  with  a  countless  seed  :  no 
marvel,  therefore,  that  he  should  exhibit  a  grasping, 
grovelling  spirit ;  he  had  no  other  resource.  It  is  useless 
to  expect  from  worldly  men  aught  but  a  worldly  spirit 
and  worldly  principles  and  ways ;  they  have  gotten 
naught  superior ;  and  you  cannot  bring  a  clean  thing 
out  of  an  unclean.  But  to  find  Jacob,  after  all  he  had 
seen  and  heard  at  Bethel,  struggling  with  a  man  of  the 
world,  and  endeavoring  by  such  means  to  accumulate 
property,  is  peculiarly  humbling. 

And  yet,  alas !  it  is  no  uncommon  thing  to  find  the 
children  of  God  thus  forgetting  their  high  destinies  and 
heavenly  inheritance,  and  descending  into  the  arena  with 
24 


218  GENESIS 

the  children  of  this  world,  to  struggle  there  for  the 
riches  and  honors  of  a  perishing,  sin-stricken  earth. 
Indeed,  to  such  an  extent  i^  this  true,  in  many  in- 
Btances,  that  it  is  often  hard  to  trace  a  single  evidence 
of  that  principle  which  St.  John  tells  us  "  overcometh 
the  world."  Looking  at  Jacob  and  Laban,  and  judging 
of  them  upon  natural  principles,  it  would  be  hard  to 
trace  any  difference.  One  should  get  behind  the  scenes, 
and  enter  into  God's  thoughts  about  both,  in  order 
to  see  how  widely  they  differed.  But  it  was  God  that 
had  made  them  to  differ,  not  Jacob ;  and  so  it  is  now. 
Difficult  as  it  may  be  to  trace  any  difference  between 
the  children  of  light  and  the  children  of  darkness,  there 
is  nevertheless  a  very  wide  difference  indeed, — a  differ- 
ence founded  on  the  solemn  fact  that  the  former  are 
"the 'vessels  of  mercy,  which,  God  has  afore  prepared 
unto  glory,"  while  the  1-atter  are  "  the  vessels  of  wrath ^ 
fitted  (not  by  God,  but  by  sin)  to  destruction."*  (Rom. 

*  It  is  deeply  interesting  to  the  spiritual  mind  to  mark  how  sedu- 
lously the  Spirit  of  God,  in  Rom.  is.  and  indeed  throughout  all 
scripture,  guards  against  the  horrid  inference  which  the  human  mind 
draws  from  the  doctrine  of  God's  election.  When  he  speaks  of 
"vessels  of  wrath,"  he  simply  says,  "fitted  to  destruction."  He  does 
not  say  that  God  "fitted"  them. 

Whereas,  on  the  other  hand,  when  he  refers  to  **  the  vessels  of 
mercy"  he  says,  "  whom  he  had  afore  prepared  unto  glory."  This  is 
most  marked. 

If  my  reader  will  turn  for  a  moment  to  Matt.  xxv.  34-41, 
he  will  find  another  striking  and  beautiful  instance  of  the  same 
thing. 

When  the  king  addresses  those  on  his  right  hand,  he  says,  "  Come, 
ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit  the  kingdom  preparedi/or  t/ou  from  the 
foundation  of  the  world."  (Verse  34.) 

But  when   be  addresses  those  on  his  left,  he  says,  "  Depart  from 


CHAPTERS   XX Vn. — XXXV.  2t9 

ix.  22,  23.)  This  makes  a  very  serious  difiference.  The 
Jacobs  and  the  Labans  differ  materially,  and  have  dif- 
fered, and  will  differ  forever,  though  the  former  may 
so  sadly  fail  in  the  realization  and  practical  exhibition 
of  their  true  character  and  dignity. 

Xow,  in  Jacob's  case,  as  set  forth  in  the  three  chap- 
ters now  before  us,  all  his  toiling  and  working,  like  his 
wretched,  bargain  before,  is  the  result  of  his  ignorance 
of  God's  grace,  and  his  inability  to  put  implicit  con- 
fidence in  God's  promise.  The  man  that  could  say, 
after  a  most  unqualified  j^romise  from  God  to  give  him 
the  whole  land  of  Canaan,  *'  If  God  will  give  me  food 
to  eat  and  raiment  to  put  on,"  could  have  had  but  a 
very  faint  apprehension  of  who  God  was,  or  what  his 
promise  was  either ;  and  because  of  this,  we  see  him 
seeking  to  do  the  best  he  can  for  himself  This  is 
always  the  w^^y  when  grace  is  not  understood :  the 
principles  of  grace  may  be  professed,  but  the  real  mea- 
sure of  our  experience  of  the  power  of  grace  is  quite 
another  thing.  One  would  have  imagined  that  Jacob's 
vision  had  told  him  a  tale  of  grace  ;   but  God's  revela- 

me,  ye  cursed."  He  does  not  say,  "cursed  of  my  Father."  And, 
further,  he  says,  "into  everlasting  fire,  prepared,"  not  for  you,  but 
"for  the  devil  and  his  angels."  (Verse  41.) 

In  a  word,  then,  it  is  plain  that  God  has  "  prepared"  a  kingdom 
of  glory,  and  "vessels  of  mercy"  to  inherit  that  kingdom;  but  ho 
has  not  prepared  "  everlasting  fire"  for  men,  but  for  the  "  devil  and 
his  angels;"  nor  has  he  fitted  the  "vessels  of  wrath,"  but  they  have 
fitted  themselves. 

The  word  of  God  as  clearly  establishes  "election"  as  it  sedulously 
guards  against  "  reprobation."  Every  one  who  finds  himself  in  heaven 
will  have  to  thank  God  for  it;  and  every  one  that  finds  himself  in  hell 
will  have  to  thank  himself. 


£80  GENESIS. 

tion  at  Bethel,  and  Jacob's  actings  at  Haran,  are  two 
very  different  things ;  yet  the  latter  tell  out  what  was 
Jacob's  sense  of  the  former.  Character  and  conduct 
prove  the  real  measure  of  the  soul's  experience  and 
conviction,  whatever  the  profession  may  be.  But  Jacob 
had  never  yet  been  brought  to  measure  himself  in  God's 
presence,  and  therefore  he  was  ignorant  of  grace,  and 
he  proved  his  ignorance  by  measuring  himself  with 
Laban,  and  adopting  his  maxims  and  ways. 

One  cannot  help  remarking  the  fact  that  inasmuch 
as  Jacob  failed  to  learn  and  judge  the  inherent  char- 
acter of  his  flesh  before  God,  therefore  he  was  in  the 
providence  of  God  led  into  the  very  sphere  in  which 
that  character  was  fully  exhibited  in  its  broadest  lines. 
He  was  conducted  to  Haran,  the  country  of  Laban  a;id 
Rebekah,  the  very  school  from  whence  those  principles, 
in  which  he  was  such  -a  remarkable  adept,  had  ema- 
nated, and  where  they  were  taught,  exhibited,  and 
maintained.  If  one  wanted  to  learn  what  God  Avas,  he 
should  go  to  Bethel;  if ■  to  learn  what  man  was,  he 
should  go  to  Haran.  But  Jacob  had  failed  to  take  in 
God's  revelation  of  himself  at  Bethel,  and  he  therefore 
v/ent  to  Haran,  and  there  showed  what  he  was, — and 
oh,  what  scrambling  and  scraping  1  what  shuffling  and 
shifting !  There  is  no  holy  and  elevated  confidence  in 
God,  no  simply  looking  to  and  waiting  on  him.  True, 
God  was  with  Jacob, — for  nothing  can  hinder  the  out- 
shinings  of  divine  grace.  Moreover,  Jacob  in  a  mea- 
sure owns  God's  presence  and  faithfulness.  Still  nothing 
can  be  done  without  a  scheme  and  a  plan.  Jacob  can- 
not allow  God  to  settle  the  question  as  to  his  wives  and 
his  wages,  but  seeks  to  settle  all  by  his  own  cunning 


CHAPTERS    XXVII. -XXXV.  281 

and  management.  In  short,  it  is  "  the  supplanter" 
throughout.  Let  the  reader  turn,  for  example,  to  Chap. 
XXX.  3  ir-42,  and  say  where  he  can  find  a  more  masterly 
piece  of  cunning.  It  is  verily  a  perfect  picture  of 
Jacob.  In  place  of  allowing  God  to  multiply  "the 
ringstraked,  speckled,  and  spotted  cattle,"  as  he  most 
assuredly  would  have  done,  had  he  been  trusted,  he 
sets  about  securing  their  multiplication  by  a  piece  of 
policy  which  could  only  have  found  its  origin  in  the 
mind  of  a  Jacob.  So  in  all  his  actings,  during  his 
twenty  years'  sojourn  with  Laban  ;  and  finally,  he  most 
characteristically  ''steals  awa}","  thus  maintaining  in 
every  thing  his  consistency  with  himself. 

Now,  it  is  in  tracing  out  Jacob's  real  character  from 
stage  to  stage  of  his  extraordinary  history,  that  one  gets 
a  wondrous  view  of  divine  grace.  None  but  God  could 
have  borne  with  such  an  one,  as  none  but  God  would 
have  taken  such  an  one  up.  Grace  begins  at  the  very 
lowest  point.  It  takes  up  man  as  he  is,  and  deals  with 
him  in  the  full  intelligence'  of  what  he  is.  It  is  of  the 
very  last  importance  to  understand  this  feature  of  grace 
at  one's  first  starting ;  It  enables  us  to  bear  with  steadi- 
ness of  heart  the  after  discoveries  of  personal  vileness 
which  so  frequently  shake  the  confidence  and  disturb  the 
peace  of  the  children  of  God. 

Many  there  are  who  at  first  fail  in  the  full  appre- 
hension of  the  utter  ruin  of  nature  as  looked  at  in  God's 
presence,  though  their  hearts  have  been  attracted  by  the 
grace  of  God,  and  their  consciences  tranquillized  in 
some  degree  by  the  application  of  the  blood  of  Christ. 
Hence,  as  they  get  on  in  their  course,  they  begin  to 
make  deeper  discoveries  of  the  evil  within  ;  and,  being 


GENESIS. 

deficient  in  their  apprehensions  of  God's  g^ace  and  the 
extent  and  efficacy  of  the  sacrifice  of  Christ,  they  im- 
mediately raise  a  question  as  to  their  being  children  of 
God  at  all.  Thus  they  are  taken  off  Christ  and  thrown 
on  themselves,  and  then  they  either  betake  themselyes 
to  ordinances  in  order  to  keep  up  their  tone  of  devotion, 
or  else  fall  back  into  thorough  worldliness  and  carnality. 
These  are  disastrous  consequences,  and  all  the  result  of 
not  having  "the  heart  established  in  grace." 

It  is  this  that  renders  the  study  of  Jacob's  history  so 
profoundly  interesting  and  eminently  useful.  No  one 
can  read  the  three  chapters  now  before  us  and  not  be 
struck  at  the  amazing  grace  that  could  take  up  such  an 
one  as  Jacob  ;  and  not  only  take  him  up,  but  say,  after 
the  full  discovery  of  all  that  was  in  him,  "  He  hath  not 
beheld  iniquity  in  Jacob,  neither  hath  he  seen  perverse- 
ness  in  Israel,"  (Numb,  xxiii.  21.)  He  does  not  say 
that  iniquity  and  perVerseness  were  not  in  him.  This 
would  never  give  the  heart  confidence, — the  very  thing 
above  all  others  wiiich  God  desires  to  give.  It  could 
never  assure  a  poor  sinner's  heart  to  be  told  that  there 
was  no  i^in  in  him  ;  for  alas !  he  knows  too  w^ell  there 
is ;  but  to  be  told  there  is  no  sin  on  him,  and  that, 
moreover,  in  God's  sight,  on  the  simple  ground  of 
Christ's  perfect  sacrifice,  must  infallibly  set  his  heart 
and  conscience  at  rest.  Had  God  taken  up  Esau,  we 
should  not  have  had  by  any  means  such  a  blessed  dis- 
play of  grace  ;  for  this  reason,  that  he  does  not  appear 
before  us  in  the  unamiable  light  in  which  we  see  Jacob. 
The  more  man  sinks,  the  more  God's  grace  rises.  As 
my  debt  rises  in  my  estimation  from  the  fifty  pence  up 
to  the  five  hundred,  so  my  sense  of  grace  rises  also,  my 


CHAPTERS  XXVII.-XXXV.  283 

experience  of  that  love  which,  when  we  "  had  nothing 
to  pay,"  could  "  frankly  forgive"  us  all.  (Luke  vii.  42.) 
Well  might  the  apostle  say,  "it  is  a  good  thing  that 
the  heart  be  established  with  grace:  not  with  meats, 
Avhich  have  not  profited  them  that  have  been  occupied 
therein."  (Heb.  xiii.  9.) 


CHAPTER  XXXIL 

"And  Jacob  went  on  his  way,  and  the  angels  of 
God  met  him."  Still  God's  grace  follows  him,  not- 
withstanding all.  "Nothing  changeth  God's  affection." 
Whom  he  loves,  and  how  he  loves,  he  loves  to  the 
end.  His  love  is  like  himself,  "  the  same  yesterday, 
to-day,  and  forever."  But  how  little  effect  "God's 
host"  had  upon  Jacob  may  be  seen  by  his  actings  as 
here  set  before  us.  "  And  Jacob  sent  messengers  before 
him  to  Esau  his  brother,  unto  the  land  of  Seir,  the 
country  of  Edom."  He  evidently  feels  uneasy  in  refer- 
ence to  Esau,  and  not  without  reason.  He  had  treated 
him  badly,  and  his  conscience  was  not  at  ease  ;  but  in- 
stead of  casting  himself  unreservedly  upon  God,  he  be- 
takes himself  to  his  usual  planning  again,  in  prder  to 
avert  Esau's  wrath.  He  tries  to  manage  Esau,  instead 
of  leaning  on  God. 

"  And  he  commanded  them,  saying.  Thus  shall  ye 
speak  unto  my  lord  Esau  ;  thy  servant  Jacob  saith  thus, 
I  have  sojourned  with  Laban,  and  stayed  there  until 
now."  All  this  bespeaks  a  soul  very  much  off  its 
centre  in  God.  "My  lord,"  and  "  thy  servant,"  is  not 
like  the  language  of  a  brother,  or  of  one  in  the  conscious 


GENESI 

dignity  of  the  presence  of  God  ;  but  it  was  tlie  language 
of  Jacob,  and  of  Jacob,  too,  with  a  bad  conscience. 

"  And  the  messengers  returned  to  Jacob,  saying,  We 
came  to  thy  brother  Esau,  and  also  he  cometh  to  meet 
thee,  and  four  hundred  men  with  him.  Then  Jacob  was 
greatly  afraid  and  distr^^ssed."  But  what  does  he  first 
do  ?  Does  he  at  once  cast  himself  upon  God  ?  No  ;  he 
begins  to  manage.  "  He  divided  the  people  that  was 
with  him,  and  the  flocks,  and  herds,  and  the  camels, 
into  two  bands ;  and  said,  If  Esau  come  to  the  one 
company  and  smite  it,  then  the  other  company  which  is 
left  shall  escape."  Jacob's  first  thought  was  always  a 
plan;  and  in  this  we  have  a  true  picture  of  the  poor 
human  heart.  True,  he  turns  to  God  after  he  makes 
his  plan,  and  cries  to  him  for  deliverance  ;  but  no  sooner 
does  he  cease  praying  than  he  resumes  the  planning, 
Now,  praying  and  planning  will  never  do  together.  If 
I  plan,  I  am  leaning  more  or  less  on  my  plan  ;  but  when 
I  pray,  I  should  lean  exclusively  upon  God.  Hence,  the 
two  things  are  perfectly  incompatible ;  they  virtually 
destroy  each  other.  When  my  eye  is  filled  with  my 
own  management  of  things,  I  am  not  prepared  to  see 
God  acting  for  me  ;  and  in  that  case  prayer  is  not  the 
utterance  of  my  need,  but  the  mere  superstitious  perform- 
ance of  something  which  I  think  ought  to  be  done,  or  it 
may  be  asking  God  to  sanctify  my  plans.  This  will  never 
do.  It  is  not  asking  God  to  sanctify  and  bless  my 
means,  but  it  is  asking  him  to  do  it  all  himself.* 

*  No  doubt,  when  faith  allows  God  to  act,  he  will  use  his  own  agency  ; 
but  this  is  a  totally  different  thing  from  his  owning  and  blessing  the 
plans  and  arrangements  of  unbelief  and  impatience.  This  distinctiou 
is  not  sufficie-ntly  understood. 


CHAPTERS   XXVII. -XXXV.  285 

Though  Jacob  asked  God  to  deliver  him'  from  his 
brother  Esau,  he  evidently  was  not  satisfied  with  that, 
and  therefore  he  tried  to  "  appease  him  with  a  present." 
Thus  his  confidence  was  in  the  "  present,"  and  not  en- 
tirely in  God.  "  The  heart  is  deceitful  above  all  things, 
and  desperately  wicked,"  It  is  often  hard  to  detect 
what  is  the  real  ground  of  the  heart's  confidence.  We 
imagine,  or  would  fain  persuade  ourselves,  that  we  are 
leaning  upon  God,  when  we  are  in  reality  leaning  upon 
some  scheme  of  our  own  devising.  Who,  after  hearken- 
ing ^0  Jacob's  prayer,  wherein  he  says,  "Deliver  me,  I 
pray  thee,  from  the  hand  of  my  brother,  from  the  hand 
of  Esau  ;  for  I  fear  him,  lest  he  will  come  and  smite 
me,  and  the  mother  with  the  children,"  could  imagine 
him  saying,  "  I  will  appease  him«with  a  present."  Had 
he  forgotten  his  prayer  ?  Was  he  making  a  god  of  his 
present  ?  Did  he  place  more  confidence  in  a  few  cattle 
than  in  Jehovah,  to  whom  he  had  just  been  committing 
himself  ?  These  are  questions  which  naturally  arise  out 
of  Jacob's  actings  in  reference  to  Esau,  and  we  can 
readily  answer  them  by  looking  into  the  glass  of  our  own 
hearts.  There  we  learn,  as  well  as  on  the  page  of  Jacob's 
history,  how  much  more  apt  we  are  to  lean  on  our  own 
management  than  on  God  ;  but  it  will  not  do  ;  we  must 
be  brought  to  see  the  end  of  our  management,  that  it 
is  perfect  folly,  and  that  the  true  path  of  wisdom  is  to 
repose  in  full  confidence  upon  God. 

Nor  will  it  do  to  make  our  prayers  part  of  our 
management.  We  often  feel  very  well  satisfied  with 
ourselves  when  we  add  prayer  to  our  arrangement,  or 
when  we  have  used  all  lawful  means  and  called  upon 
God  to  bless  them.     When  this  is  the  case,  our  prayers 


286  GENESIS. 

are  worth  about  as  much  as  our  plans,  iuasmueh  as  we 
are  leaning  upon  them  instead  of  upon  God.  We  must 
be  really  brought  to  the  end  of  every  thing  with  which 
self  has  aught  to  do  ;  for  until  then,  God  cannot  show 
himself.  But  we  can  never  get  to  -the  end  of  our  plans 
until  we  have  been  brought  to  the  end  of  ourselves. 
We  must  see  that  ''all  flesh  is  grass,  and  all  the  goodli- 
Qess  thereof  is  as  the  flower  of  the  field."    (Isa.  xl.  6.) 

Thus  it  is  in  this  interesting  chapter  ;  when  Jacob  had 
made  all  his  prudent  arrangements,  we  read,  "  And  Ja- 
cob was  left  alone  ;  and  there  wrestled  a  man  witfe  him 
until  the  breaking  of  the  day."  This  is  a  turning- 
point  in  the  history  of  this  very  remarkable  man.  To 
be  left  alone  with  God  is  the  only  true  way  of  arriving 
at  a  just  knowledge  of  ourselves  and  our  ways.  We 
can  never  get  a  true  estimate  of  nature  and  all  its  act- 
ings, until  we  have  weighed  them  in  the  balance  of  the 
sanctuary,  and  there  we  ascertain  their  real  worth.  No 
matter  what  we  may  think  about  ourselves,  nor  yet  what 
man  may  think  about  us ;  the  great  question  is,  What 
does. God  think  about  us ?  And  the  answer  to  this  ques- 
tion can  only  be  heard  when  we  are  "  left  alone."  Away 
from  the  world ;  away  from  self ;  away  from  all '  the 
thoughts,  reasonings,  imaginations,  and  emotions  of 
mere  nature,  and  ''alone"  with  God, — thus,  and  thus 
alone,  can  we  get  a  correct  judgment  about  ourselves. 

"  Jacob  was  left  alone  ;  and  there  wrestled  a  man 
with  him."  Mark,  it  was  not  Jacob  wrestling  with  a 
man  ;  but  a  man  wrestling  with  Jacob  ;  this  scene  is 
very  commonly  referred  to  as  an  instance  of  Jacob's 
power  in  prayer.  That  it  is  not  this  is  evident  from 
the  simple  wording  of  the  passage.     My  wrestling  with 


CHAPTERS    XXVII. -XXXV.  28 1 

a  man,  and  a  man  wrestling  with  me,  present  two  to- 
tally different  ideas  to  the  mind.  In  the  former  case 
I  want  to  gain  some  object  from  him ;  in  the  latter,  he 
wants  to  gain  some  object  from  me.  Now,  in  Jacob's 
case,  the  divine  object  was  to  bring  him  to  see  what  a 
poor,  feeble,  worthless  creature  he  was,  and  when  Jacob 
so  pertinaciously  held  out  against  the  divine  dealing 
with  him,  "he  touched  the  hollow  of  his  thigh;  and 
the  hollow  of  Jacob's  thigh  was  out  of  joint  as  he 
wrestled  with  him."  The  sentence  of  death  must  be 
written  on  the  flesh, — the  power  of  the  cross  must  be 
entered  into  before  we  can  steadily  and  happily  walk 
with  God.  We  have  followed  Jacob  so  far,  amid  all 
the  windings  and  workings  of  his  extraordinary  charac- 
ter,— we  have  seen  him  planning  and  managing  during 
his  twenty  years'  sojourn  with  Laban  ;  but  not  until  he 
"  was  left  alone,"  did  he  get  a  true  idea  of  what  a  per- 
fectly helpless  thing  he  was  in  himself.  Then,  the  seat 
of  his  strength  being  touched,  he  learnt  to  say,  "  I  will 
not  let  thee  go." 

"Other  refuge  have  I  none  : 
Clings  my  helpless  soul  to  thee." 

This  was  a  new  era  in  the  history  of  the  supplanting, 
planning  Jacob.  Up  to  this  point  he  had  held  fast  by 
his  own  ways  and  means ;  but  now  he  is  brought  to  say, 
''I  will  not  let  thee  go."  Now,  let  my  reader  remark, 
that  Jacob  did  not  express  himself  thus  until  "  the  hol- 
low of  his  thigh  was  touched."  This  simple  fact  is  quite 
sufl&cient  to  settle  the  true  interpretation  of  the  whole 
scene.  God  was  wrestling  with  Jacob  to  bring  him  to 
this  point.  We  have  already  seen  that,  as  to  Jacob's 
power  in  prayer,  he  had  no  sooner  uttered  a  few  words 


288  GENESIS. 

to  God  than  he  let  out  the  real  secret  of  his  soul's  de- 
pendence, bj  saying,  ''  I  will  appease  him  (Esau)  witli 
a  present."  Would  he  have  said  this  if  he  had  really 
entered  into  the  meaning  of  prayer,  or  true  dependence 
upon  God  ?  Assuredly  not.  If  he  had  been  looking  to 
God  alone  to  appease  Esau,  could  he  have  said,  "  I  will 
appease  him  by  a  present  ?"  Impossible  :  God  and  the 
creature  must  be  kept  distinct,  and  will  be  kept  so  in 
every  soul  that  knows  much  of  the  sacred  reality  of  a 
life  of  faith. 

But,  alas  !  here  is  where  we  fail,  if  one  may  speak 
for  another.  Under  the  plausible  and  apparently  pious 
formula  of  using  means,  we  really  cloak  the  positive 
infidelity  of  our  poor  deceitful  hearts  ;  we  think  we  are 
looking  to  God  to  bless  our  means,  while,  in  reality, 
we  are  shutting  him  out  by  leaning  on  the  means,  in- 
stead of  leaning  on  hmi.  Oh,  may  our  hearts  be 
taught  the  evil  of  thus  acting.  May  we  learn  to  cling 
more  simply  to  God  alone,  that  so  our  history  may  be 
more  characterized  by  that  holy  elevation  above  the 
circumstances  through  which  we  are  passing  !  It  is  not, 
by  any  means,  an  easy  matter  so  to  get  to  the  end  of 
the  creature,  in  every  shape  and  form,  as  to  be  able  to 
say,  "I  will  not  let  thee  go  except  thou  bless  me." 
To  say  this  from  the  heart,  and  to  abide  in  the  pov/er  of 
it,  is  the  secret  of  all  true  strength.  Jacob  said  it  when 
the  hollow  of  his  thigh  was  touched  ;  but  not  till  then. 
He  struggled  long  ere  he  gave  way,  because  his  confi- 
dence in  the  flesh  was  strong.  But  God  can  bring 
down  to  the  dust  the  stoutest  character.  He  knows 
how  to  touch  the  spring  of  nature's  strength,  and  write 
the  sentence  of  death  thoroughly  upon  it ;  and  until  this 


CHAPTERS   XXVII. -XXXV.  289 

IS  done,  there  can  be  no  real  ** power  with  God  or  man.'^ 
We  must  be  "weak"  ere  we  can  be  "strong."  "The 
power  of  Christ"  can  only  "  rest  on  us"  in  connection 
with  the  knowledge  of  our  infirmities.  Christ  cannot 
put  the  seal  of  his  approval  upon  nature's  strength, 
its  wisdom,  or  its  glory :  all  these  must  sink  that  he 
may  rise.  Nature  can  never  form,  in  any  one  way,  a 
pedestal  on  v,^hich  to  display  the  grace  or  power  of 
Christ;  for  if  it  could,  then  might  flesh  glory  in  his 
presence ;  but  this,  we  know,  can  never  be. 

And,  inasmuch  as  the  display  of  God's  glory,  and 
God's  name  or  character,  is  connected  with  the  entire 
setting  aside  of  nature,  so,  until  this  latter  is  set  aside, 
the  soul  can  never  enjoy  the  disclosure  of  the  former. 
Hence,  though  Jacob  is  called  to  tell  out  his  name,  to 
own  that  his  name  is  "  Jacob,  or  a  supplanter,"  he  yet 
receives  no  revelation  of  the  name  of  him  who  had 
been  wrestling  with  him,  and  bringing  him  down  into 
the  dust.  He  received  for  himself  the  name  of  "  Israel, 
or  prince,"  which  was  a  great  step  in  advance ;  but  when 
he  saj's,  "  Tell  me,  I  pray  thee,  thy  name  ;"  he  received 
the  reply,  "  Wherefore  is  it  that  thou  dost  ask  after  my 
name  ?"  The  Lord  refuses  to  tell  his  name,  though  he 
had  elicited  from  Jacob  the  truth  as  to  himself,  and  he 
blesses  him  accordingly.  How  often  is  this  the  case 
in  the  annals  of  God's  family  !  There  is  the  disclosure 
of  self  in  all  its  moral  deformity ;  but  we  fail  to  get  hold 
practically  of  what  God  is,  though  he  has  come  so  very 
close  to  us,  and  blessed  us,  too,  in  connection  with  the 
discovery  of  ourselves.  Jacob  received  the  new  name 
of  Israel  when  the  hollow  of  his  thigii  had  been  touched. 
He  became  a  mighty  prince  when  he  had  been  brought 
25  T 


k#9  GENESIS. 

to  know  himself  as  a  weak  man  ;  but  still  the  Lord  had 
to  say,  "  Wherefore  is  it  that  thou  dost  ask  after  my 
name  ?"  There  is  no  disclosure  of  the  name  of  him 
who,  nevertheless,  had  brought  out  the  real  name  and 
condition  of  Jacob. 

From  all  this  we  learn  that  it  is  one  thing  to  be 
blessed  by  the  Lord,  and  quite  another  thing  to  have 
the  revelation  of  his  character,  by  the  Spirit,  to  our 
hearts.  "He  blessed  him  there;"  but  he  did  not  tell 
his  name.  There  is  blessing  in  being  brought,  in  any 
measure,  to  know  ourselves,  for  therein  we  are  led  into 
a  path,  in  which  we  are  able,  more  clearly,  to  discern 
what  God  is  to  us  in  detail.  Thus  it  was  with  Jacob. 
"When  the  hollow  of  his  thigh  was  touched  he  found 
himself  in  a  condition  in  which  it  was  either  God  or 
nothing.  A  poor  halting  man  could  do  little :  it  there- 
fore behoved  him  to  cling  to  one  who  was  almighty. 

I  would  remark,  ere  leaving  this  chapter,  that  the 
book  of  Job  is,  in  a  certain  sense,  a  detailed  commen- 
tary on  this  scene  in  Jacob's  history.  Throughout  the 
first  thirty-one  chapters.  Job  grapples  with  his  friends, 
and  maintains  his  point  against  all  their  arguments ; 
but  in  Chapter  xxxii.  God,  by  the  instramentality  of 
Elihu,  begins  to  wrestle  with  him ;  and  in  Chapter 
xxxviii.  he  comes  down  upon  him  directly  with  all  the 
majesty  of  his  power,  overwhelms  him  by  the  display 
of  his  greatness  and  glory,  and  elicits  from  him  the 
well-known  words,  ''  I  have  heard  of  thee  by  the  hear- 
ing of  the  ear  :  but  now  mine  eye  seeth  thee.  Where- 
fore I  abhor  myself,  and  repent  in  dust  and  ashes." 
(Chap.  xlii.  5,  6.)  This  was  really  touching  the  hollow 
of  his  thigh.     And  mark  the  expression,   ''mine  eye 


CHAPTER  xxvn.-xxxv.  2M 

••seetlii </i€e. "  He  does  not  say,  "I  see  myself"  merely; 
no;  but  "thee."  Nothing  but  a  view  of  what  God  is, 
can  really  lead  to  repentance  and  self-loathing.  Thus 
it  will  be  with  the  people  of  Israel,  whose  history  is 
very  analogous  with  that  of  Job.  When  they  shall 
look  upon  him  whom  they  have  pierced,  they  will 
mourn,  and  then  there  will  be  full  restoration  and 
blessing.  Their  latter  end,  like  Job's  will  be  better 
than  their  beginning.  They  will  learn  the  full  meaning 
of  that  word,  "0  Israel,  thou  hast  destroyed  thyself; 
but  in  me  is  thine  hefp."     (Hosea  xiii.  9.) 


CHAPTERS   XXXIII.  XXXIY. 

We  may  here  see  how  groundless  were  all  Jacob's 
fears,  and  how  useless  all  his  plans.  Notwithstanding 
the  wrestling,  the  touching  the  hollow  of  the  thigh, 
and  the  halting,  we  find  Jacob  still  planning.  "  And 
Jacob  lifted  up  his  eyes,  and  looked,  and,  behold,  Esau 
came,  and  with  him  four  hundred  men.  And  he  divided 
the  children  unto  Leah,  and  unto  Rachel,  and  unto  the 
two  handmaids.  And  he  put  the  handmaids  and  theif 
children  foremost,  and  Leah  and  her  children  after,  ana 
Rachel  and  Joseph  hindermost."  This  arrangement 
proved  the  continuance  of  his  fears.  He  still  antici- 
pated vengeance  from  the  hand  of  Esau,  and  he  exposed 
those  about  whom  he  cared  least  to  the  first  stroke  of 
that  vengeance.  How  wondrous  are  the  depths  of  the 
human  heart !     How  slow  it  is  to  trust  God  !     Had 


292  GENESIS. 

JacoD  oeen  really  leaning  upon  Goa,  ne  never  conid  have 
anticipated  destruction  for  himself  and  his  family ;  but 
alas  !  the  heart  knows  something  of  the  difficulty  of 
simply  reposing,  in  calm  confidence,  upon  an  ever- 
present,  all-powerful,  and  infinitely  gracious  God. 

But  mark  now  the  thorough  vanity  of  the  heart's 
anxiety.  "  And  Esau  ran  to  meet  him,  and  embraced 
him,  and  fell  on  his  neck  and  kissed  him ;  and  they 
wept."  The  present  was  quite  unnecessary, — the  plan 
useless.  God  ''  appeased"  Esau^  as  he  had  already 
appeased  Laban.  Thus  it  is  he  ever  delights  to  rebuke 
our  poor,  coward,  unbelieving  hearts,  and  put  to  flight 
all  our  fears.  Instead  of  the  dreaded  sword  of  Esau. 
Jacob  meets  his  embrace  and  kiss ;  instead  of  strife  and 
conflict,  they  mingle  their  tears.  Such  are  God's  ways. 
Who  would  not  trust  him  ?  Who  would  not  honor 
him  with  the  heart's  fullest  confidence  ?  Why  is  it 
that,  notwithstanding  all  the  sweet  evidence  of  his 
faithfulness  to  those  who  put  their  trust  in  him,  we 
are  so  ready,  on  every  fresh  occasion,  to  doubt  and 
hesitate  ?  The  answer  is  simple  :  we  are  not  sufficiently 
acquainted  with  God.  "  Acquaint  now  thyself  with 
him  and  be  at  peace."  (Job  xxii.  21.)  This  is  true, 
whether  in  reference  to  the  unconverted  sinner,  or  to 
the  child  of  God.  The  true  knowledge  of  God,  real 
acquaintance  with  him,  is  life  and  peace.  "  This  is 
life  eternal,  that  they  might  know  thee,  the  only  true 
God,  and  Jesus  Christ  whom  thou  hast  sent."  (John 
xvii.  3.)  The  more  intimate  our  acquaintance  with 
God,  the  more  solid  will  be  our  peace,  and  the  more 
will  our  souls  be  lifted  above  every  creature  dependence. 
^'  God  is  a  rock,"  and  we  only  need  tjo  lean  our  whole 


CHAPTERS   XXVII. -XXXV.  293 

weight  upon  him  to  know  how  ready  and  how  able  he 
is  to  sustain  us. 

After  all  this  manifestation  of  God's  goodness,  we 
find  Jacob  settling  down  in  Succoth,  and,  contrary  to 
the  spirit  and  principles  of  a  pilgrim  life,  building  a 
house  as  if  it  were  his  home.  Xow,  Succoth  was  evi- 
dentl}^  not  his  divinely-appointed  destination.  The 
Lord  had  not  said  to  him,  "  I  am  the  God  of  Succoth  ;" 
no  f  but  "I  am  the  God  of  Bethel."  Bethel,  therefore, 
and  not  Succoth,  should  have  been  Jacob's  grand  ob- 
ject. But  alas !  the  heart  is  always  prone  to  rest 
satisfied  with  a  position  and  portion  short  of  what  God 
would  graciously  assign. 

Jacob  then  moves  on  to  Shechem,  and  purchases 
ground,  still  falling  short  of  the  divine  mark,  and  the 
name  by  which  he  calls  his  altar  is  indicative  of  the 
moral  condition  of  his  soul.  He  calls  it  "  El-elohe- 
Israel,"  or  "  God,  the  God  of  Israel."  This  was  taking 
a  very  contracted  view  of  God.  True,  it  is  our  privi- 
lege to  know  God  as  our  God  ;  but  it  is  a  higher  thing 
to  know  him  as  the  God  of  his  own  house,  and  to 
view  ourselves  as  part  of  that  house.  It  is  the  be- 
liever's privilege  to  know  Christ  as  his  head  ;  but  it  is 
a  higher  thing  to  know  him  as  the  head  of  his  body 
the  Church,  and  to  know  ourselves  as  members  of  that 
body. 

We  shall  see,  when  we  .come  to  Chap.  xxxv.  that 
Jacob  is  led  to  take  a  higher  and  a  wider  view  of  God ; 
but  at  Shechem  he  was  manifestly  on  low  ground,  and 
he  was  made  to  smart  for  it,  as  is  always  the  case  when 
we  stop  short  of  God's  own  ground.  The  two  tribes 
and  a  half  took  up  their  position  on  this  side  of  Jordan, 


294  GENESIS. 

and  they  were  the  first  to  fall  into  the  enemy^s  hand. 
So  it  was  with  Jacob.  We  see,  in  Chap,  xxxiv.,  the  bit- 
ter fruits  of  his  sojourn  at  Shechem,  There  is  a  blot 
cast  upon  his  family,  which  Simeon  and  Levi  attempt 
to  wipe  out,  in  the  mere  energy  and  violence  of  nature, 
which  only  led  to  still  deeper  sorrow ;  and  that,  too, 
which  touched  Jacob  still  more  keenly  than  the  insult 
offered  to  his  daughter:  "And  Jacob  said  to  Simeon 
and  Levi,  Ye  have  troubled  me,  to  make  me  to  stink 
among  the  inhabitants  of  the  land,  among  the  Canaanites 
and  the  Perizzites :  and  I  being  few  in  number,  they 
shall  gather  themselves  together  against  me,  and  slay 
me  ;  and  /  shall  be  destroyed,  7  and  my  house."  Thus 
it  was  the  consequences  in  reference  to  himself  that 
affected  Jacob  most.  He  seems  to  have  walked  in  con- 
stant apprehension  of  danger  to  himself  or  his  family, 
and  in  the  manifestation  of  an  anxious,  a  cautious, 
timid,  calculating  spirit,  utterly  incompatible  with  a  life 
of  genuine  faith  in  God. 

It  is  not  that  Jacob  was  not,  in  the  main,  a  man  of 
faith;  he  assuredly  was,  and  as  such  gets  a  place 
amongst  the  *'  cloud  of  witnesses"  in  Heb.  xi.  But 
then  he  exhibited  sad  failure  from  not  walking  in  the 
habitual  exercise  of  that  divine  principle.  Could  faith 
have  led  him  to  say,  "  I  shall  be  destroyed,  I  and  my 
house  ?"  Surely  not.  God's  promise  in  Chapter  xxviii. 
14,  15,  should  have  banished  every  fear  from  his  poor 

timid   spirit.     "  I  will   keep   thee I  will  not 

leave  thee."  This  should  have  tranquillized  his  heart. 
But  the  fact  is,  his  mind  was  more  occupied  with  his 
danger  among  the  Shechemites  than  with  his  security 
in  the  hand  of  God.     He  ought  to  have  known  that 


CHAPTERS    XXVII. -XXXV.  295 

not  a  hair  of  his  head  could  be  touched,  and  therefore, 
instead  of  looking  at  Simeon  and  Levi,  or  the  conse- 
quences of  their  rash  acting,  he  should  have  judged 
himself  for  being  in  such  a  position  at  all.  If  he  had 
not  settled  at  Shechem,  Dinah  would  not  have  been  dis- 
honored, and  the  violence  of  his  sons  would  not  have 
been  exhibited.  We  constantly  see  Christians  getting 
into  deep  sorrow  and  trouble  through  their  own  un- 
faithfulness ;  and  then,  instead  of  judging  themselves, 
they  begin  to  look  at  circumstances,  and  to  cast  upon 
them  the  blame. 

How  often  do  we  see  Christian  parents,  for  instance, 
in  keen  anguish  of  soul  about  the  wildness,  unsubdued- 
ness,  and  worldliness  of  their  children ;  and,  all  the 
while,  they  have  mainly  to  blame  themselves  for  not 
walking  faithfully  before  God  in  reference  to  their  family. 
Thus  was  it  with  Jacob.  He  was  on  low  moral  ground 
at  Shechem ;  and,  inasmuch  as  he  lacked  that  refined 
sensibility  which  would  have  led  him  to  detect  the  low 
ground,  God,  in  very  faithfulness,  used  his  circumstances 
to  chastise  him.  "  God  is  not  mocked,  for  whatsoever 
a  man  soweth  that  shall  he  also  reap."  This  is  a 
principle  flowing  out  of  God's  moral  government, — a 
principle,  from  the  application  of  which  none  can  pos- 
sibly escape  ;  and  it  is  a  positive  mercy  to  the  children 
of  God  that  they  are  obliged  to  reap  the  fruits  of  their 
errors.  It  is  a  mercy  to  be  taught,  in  any  way,  the 
bitternjess  of  departing  from,  or  stopping  short  of,  the 
living  God.  We  must  learn  that  this  is  not  our  rest ; 
for,  blessed  be  God,  he  would  not  give  us  a  polluted 
rest.  He  would  ever  have  us  resting  in,  and  with 
himself.     Such  is  his   nerfect   grace ;    and   when   our 


296  GENESIS. 

hearts  wander,  or  fall  short,  his  word  is,  "  If  thou  wilt 
return,  return  unto  we."  False  humility,  which  is 
simply  the  fruit  of  unbelief,  would  lead  the  wanderer 
or  backslider  to  take  lower  ground,  not  knowing  the 
principle  or  measure  of  God's  restoration.  The  prodi- 
gal would  seek  to  be  made  a  servant,  not  knowing  that, 
so  far  as  he  was  concerned,  he  had  no  more  title  to  the 
place  of  a  servant  than  to  that  of  a  son ;  and,  moreover, 
that  it  would  be  utterly  unworthy  of  the  father's  charac- 
ter to  put  him  in  such  a  position.  We  must  come  to 
God  on  a  principle  and  in  a  manner  worthy  of  himself, 
or  not  at  all 


CHAPTER   XXXY 

"And  God  said  unto  Jacob,  Arise,  go  up  to  Bethel 
and,  dwell  there."  This  confirms  the  principle  on  which 
we  have  been  dwelling.  When  there  is  a  failure  or 
declension,  the  Lord  calls  the  soul  back  to  himself. 
"  Remember  therefore  from  whence  thou  art  fallen  ; 
and  repent  and  do  the  first  works.^^  (Rev.  ii.  5.)  This 
is  the  divine  principle  of  restoration.  The  soul  must 
be  recalled  to  the  very  highest  point  ;  it  must  be 
brought  back  to  the  divine  standard.  The  Lord  does 
not  say,  "  remember  where  you  are;"  no;  but  ''remem- 
ber the  lofty  position  from  whence  you  have  fallen." 
Thus  only  can  one  learn  how  far  he  has  declined,  and 
how  he  is  to  retrace  his  steps. 

Now,  it  is  when  thus  recalled  to  God's  high  and  holy 
standard,  that  one  is  really  led  to  see  the  sad  evil  of 
one's  fallen  condition.     What  a  fearful  amount  of  moral 


CHAPTEKS    XXYII.-XXXV.  29  Y 

evil  had  gathered  round  Jacob's  family,  unjudged  by 
him,  until  his  soul  was  roused  by  the  call  to  "go  up  to 
Bethel."  Shechem  was  not  the  place  in  which  to  detect 
all  this  evil.  The  atmosphere  of  that  place  was  too 
much  impregnated  with  impure  elements  to  admit  of 
the  soul's  discerning,  with  any  degree  of  clearness  and 
precision,  the  true  character  of  evil.  But  the  moment 
the  call  to  Bethel  fell  on  Jacob's  ear,  "  Then  Jacob  said 
unto  his  household,  and  to  all  that  were  with  him,  Put 
away  the  strange  gods  that  are  among  you,  and  be 
clean  and  change  your  garments,  and  let  us  arise  and 
go  up  to  Bethel ;  and  I  will  make  thee  an  altar  unto 
God,  who  answered  me  in  the  day  of  my  distress,  and 
was  with  me  in  the  way  which  I  went."  The  very 
mention  of  "the  house  of  God"  struck  a  chord  in  the 
soul  of  the  patriarch  ;  it  carried  him,  in  the  twinkling 
of  an  eye,  over  the  history  of  twenty  eventful  years. 
It  was  at  Bethel  he  had  learnt  what  God  was,  and  not 
at  Shechem  ;  hence  he  must  get  back  to  Bethel  again, 
and  erect  an  altar  upon  a  totally  different  base,  and 
under  a  totally  different  name,  from  his  altar  at  Shechem. 
This  latter  was  connected  with  a  mass  of  uncleanness 
and  idolatry. 

Jacob  could  speak  of  "  El-elohe-Israel,"  while  sur- 
rounded by  a  quantity  of  things  utterly  incompatible 
with  the  holiness  of  the  house  of  God.  It  is  important 
to  be  clear  in  reference  to  this  point.  Nothing  can 
keep  the  soul  in  a  path  of  consistent,  intelligent  sepa- 
ration from  evil  save  the  sense  of  what  "the  house  of 
God"  is,  and  what  becomes  that  house.  If  I  merely 
look  at  God,  in  reference  to  myself,  I  shall  not  have  a 
clear,  full,  divine  sense  of  all  that  flows  out  of  a  due 


298  GENESIS. 

recognition  of  God's  relation  to  his  house.  Some  there 
are  who  deem  it  a  matter  of  no  importance  how  they 
are  mixed  up  with  impure  materials  in  the  worship  of 
God,  provided  they  themselves  are  true  and  upright  in 
heart.  In  other  words,  they  think  they  can  worship 
God  at  Sheehem  ;  and  that  an  altar  named  "  El-elohe- 
Israel"  is  just  as  elevated,  just  as  much  according  to 
God,  as  an  altar  named  "  El  Bethel."  This  is  evidently 
a  mistake.  The  spiritually-minded  reader  will  at  once 
detect  the  vast  moral  difference  between  Jacob's  con- 
dition at  Sheehem  and  his  condition  at  Bethel ;  and 
the  same  difTerence  is  observable  between  the  two  altars. 
Our  ideas  in  reference  to  the  worship  of  God  must,  of 
necessity,  be  affected  by  our  spiritual  condition ;  and 
the  worship  which  we  present  will  be  low  and  con- 
tra-cted,  or  elevated- and  comprehensive,  just  in  propor- 
tion as  we  enter  into  the  apprehension  of  his  character 
and  relationship. 

Now,  the  name  of  our  altar  and  the  character  of  our 
worship  express  the  same  idea.  El-Bethel  worship  is 
higher  than  El-elohe-Israel  worship,  for  this  simple 
reason,  that  it  conveys  a  higher  idea  of  God.  It  gives 
me  a  more  elevated  thought  of  God  to  speak  of  him  as 
the  God  of  his  house  than  as  the  God  of  a  solitary 
individual.  True,  there  is  beautiful  grace  expressed  in 
the  title,  "  God,  the  God  of  Israel ;"  and  the  soul  must 
ever  feel  happy  in  looking  at  the  character  of  God,  as 
graciously  connecting  himself  with  every  separate  stone 
of  his  house,  and  every  separate  member  of  the  body. 
Each  stone  in  the  building  of  God  is  .a  ''lively  stone," 
as  connected  with  the  "  living  stone,"  having  commu- 
nion with  the   "living   God,"  by  the   power   of  "the 


CHAPTERS   XXVII.-XXXV.  299 

Spirit  of  life."  But  while  all  this  is  blessedly  true, 
God  is  the  God  of  his  house  ;  and  when  we  are  enabled, 
by  an  enlarged  spiritual  intelligence,  to  view  him  as 
such,  we  enjoy  a  higher  character  of  worship  than  that 
which  flows  from  merely  apprehending  what  he  is  to 
ourselves  individually. 

But  there  is  another  thing  to  be  remarked  in  Jacob's 
recall  to  Bethel.  He  is  told  to  make  an  altar  "unto 
God,  that  appeared  unto  thee  when  thou  fleddest  /rom 
the  face  of  Esau  thy  brother."  He  is  thus  reminded 
of  "the  day  of  his  distress."  It  is  often  well  to  have 
our  minds  led  in  this  w^ay  to  the  point  in  our  history  in 
which  we  found  ourselves  brought  down  to  the  lowest 
step  of  the  ladder.  Thus  Saul  is  brought  back  to  the 
time  when  he  was  "little  in  his  own  eyes.'^  This  is 
the  true  starting-point  with  all  of  us.  "When  thou 
wast  little  in  thine  own  eyes,"  is  a  point  of  which  we 
often  need  to  be  reminded.  It  is  then  that  the  heart 
really  leans  on  God.  Afterwards  v/e  begin  to  fancy 
ourselves  to  be  something,  and  the  Lord  is  obliged  to 
teach  us  afresh  our  own  nothingness.  When  first  one 
enters  upon  a  path  of  service  or  testimony,  what  a 
sense  there  is  of  personal  weakness  and  incapacity  I  and, 
as  a  consequence,  what  leaning  upon  God  !  what  earnest, 
fervent  appeals  to  him  for  help  and  strength  I  After- 
wards we  begin  to  think  that,  from  being  so  long  at 
the  work,  we  can  get  on  by  ourselves, — at  least  there  is 
not  the  same  sense  of  weakness  or  the  same  simple 
dependence  upon  God  ;  and  then  our  ministry  becomes 
a  poor,  meagre,  flippant,  wordy  thing,  without  unction 
or  power, — a  thing  flowing,  not  from  the  exhaustless 
tide  of  the  Spirit,  but  from  our  own  wretched  minds. 


S€^;  GENESIS. 

From  ver.  9-15,  God  renews  his  promise  to  Jacob, 
and  confirms  the  new  name  of  ''prince,"  instead  of 
"  supplanter ;"  and  Jacob  again  calls  the  name  of  the 
place  "Bethel."  At  verse  18  we  have  an  interesting 
example  of  the  difference  between  the  judgment  of  faith 
and  the  judgment  of  nature.  The  latter  looks  at  things 
through  the  hazy  mist  with  which  it  is  surrounded  ; 
the  former  looks  at  them  in  the  light  of  the  presence 
and  counsels  of  God.  "And  it  came  to  pass,  as  her 
soul  was  in  departing  (for  ^e  died),  that  she  called  his 
name  Ben-oni :  but  his  father  called  him  Benjamin." 
Nature  called  him  "the  son  of  my  sorrow;"  but  faith 
called  him  "the  son  of  the  right  hand."  Thus  is  it 
ever.  The  difference  between  the  thoughts  of  nature 
and  those  of  faith  must  ever  be  wide  indeed ;  and  we 
should  earnestly  desire  that  our  souls  should  be  governed 
only  by  the  latter,  and  not  by  the  former. 


CHAPTER   XXXYI 

Furnishes  a  catalogue  of  Esau's  sons,  with  their  various 
titles  and  localities.  We  shall  not  dwell  on  this,  but 
pass  on  to  one  of  the  most  fruitful  and  interesting 
sections  in  the  entire  canon  of  inspiration,  viz.  : — 


CHAPTERS  XXXVII— L, 

On  which  we  shall  dwell  more  particularly.  There  is 
not  in  scripture  a  more  perfect  and  beautiful  type  of 
Christ  than  Joseph.     Whether  we  view  Christ  as  the 


CHAPTER  XXX Vn. — L.  301 

object  of  the  Father's  love, — the  object  of  the  envy  of 
"  his  own", — in  his  humiliation,  sufferings,  death,  exal- 
tation, and  glory, — in  all,  we  have  him  strikingly  typified 
by  Joseph. 

In  Chapter  xxxvii.  we  have  Joseph's  dreams, — the 
statement  of  which  draws  out  the  enmity  of  his 
brethren.  He  was  the  object  of  his  father's  love,  and 
the  subject  of  very  high  destinies ;  and,  inasmuch  as 
the  hearts  of  his  brethren  were  not  in  communion  with 
these  things,  they  hated  him.  They  had  no  fellow- 
ship in  the  father's  love,  and  they  would  not  yield 
to  the  thought  of  Joseph's  exaltation.  In  all  this  they 
represent  the  Jews  in  Christ's  day.  "  He  came  to  his 
own,  and  his  own  received  him  not."  He  had  "no 
form  nor  comeliness  in  their  eyes."  They  would  neither 
own  him  as  the  Son  of  God,  nor  King  of  Israel.  Their 
eyes  were  not  open  to  behold  ''his  glory, — the  glory 
as  of  the  only  begotten  of  the  Father,  full  of  grace 
and  truth."  They  would  not  have  him;  yea,  they 
hated  him. 

Now,  in  Joseph's  case,  we  see  that  he,  in  no  wise, 
relaxed  his  testimony  in  consequence  of  his  brethren's 
refusal  of  his  first  dream.  "And  Joseph  dreamed  a 
dream,  and  he  told  it  to  his  brethren,"  and  they  hated 
him  yet  the  more  ....  And  he  dreamed  yet  another 
dream,  and  he  told  it  to  his  brethren."  This  was  simple 
testimony  founded  upon  divine  revelation ;  but  it  was 
testimony  which  brought  Joseph  down  to  the  pit. 
Had  he  kept  back  his  testimony,  or  taken  off  aught  of 
its  edge  and  power,  he  might  have  spared  himself; 
but,  no  :  he  told  them  the  truth,  and  therefore  they 
hated  him.  .^ 

26 


302  GENESIS. 

Thus  was  it  with  Joseph's  great  Antitype.  He  bore 
witn-ess  to  the  truth — he  witnessed  a  good  confession — 
he  kept  back  nothing — he  could  only  speak  the  truth 
because  he  was  the  truth,  and  his  testimony  to  the 
truth  was  answered,  on  man's  part,  by  the  cross,  the 
vinegar,  the  soldier's  spear.  The  testimony  of  Christ, 
too,  was  connected  with  the  deepest,  fullest,  richest 
grace.  He  not  only  came  as  "  the  truth,"  but  also  as 
the  perfect  expression  of  all  the  love  of  the  Father's 
heart;  "grace  and  truth  came  by  Jesus  Christ."  He 
was  the  full  disclosure  to  man  of  what  God  was.  Hence 
man  was  left  entirely  without  excuse.  He  came  and 
showed  God  to  man,  and  man  hated  God  with  a  perfect 
hatred.  The  fullest  exhibition  of  divine  love  was  an- 
swered by  the  fullest  exhibition  of  human  hatred.  This 
is  seen  in  the  cross, — and  we  have  it  touchingly  fore- 
shadowed at  the  pit  info  which  Joseph  was  cast  by  his 
brethren. 

"And  when  they  saw  him  afar  off,  even  before  he 
came  near  unto  them,  they  conspired  against  him  to  slay 
iiim.  And  they  said  one  to  another,  Behold,  this 
dreamer  cometh ;  come  now,  therefore,  and  let  us  slay 
him,  and  cast  him  into  some  pit ;  and  we  will  say,  some 
evil  beast  hath  devoured  him ;  and  we  shall  see  what 
will  become  of  his  dreams."-  These  words  forcibly 
remind  us  of  the  parable  in  Matthew  xxii.  "  But,  last 
of  all,  he  sent  unto  them  his  son,  saying,  They  will 
reverence  my  son.  But  when  the  husbandmen  saw  the 
son,  they  said  among  themselves,  This  is  the  heir,  come 
let  us  kill  him,  and  let  us  seize  on  his  inheritance. 
And  they  caught  him,  and  cast  him  out  of  the  vineyard, 
and  slew  him."    God  sent  his  Son  into  the  world  with 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. — L.  303 

this  thought,  "  They  will  reverence  my  son  ;"  but  alas! 
man's  heart  had  no  reverence  for  the  "well-beloved"  of 
the  Father.  They  cast  him  out.  Earth  and  heaven 
were  at  issue  in  reference  to  Christ ;  and  they  are  at 
issue  still.  Man  crucified  him ;  but  God  raised  him 
from  the  dead.  Man  placed  him  on  a  cross  between 
two  thieves ;  God  set  him  at  his  own  right  hand  in  the 
heavens.  Man  gave  him  the  very  lowest  place  on  earth ; 
God  gave  him  the  very  highest  place  in  heaven,  in 
brightest  majesty. 

All  this  is  shown  out  in  Joseph's  history.  "  Joseph 
is  a  fruitful  bough,  even  a  fruitful  bough  by  a  well, 
whose  branches  run  over  the  wall.  The  archers  have 
sorely  grieved  him,  and  shot  at  him,  and  hated  him  ; 
but  his  bow  abode  in  strength,  and  the  arms  of  his 
hands  were  made  strong  by  the  hands  of  the  mighty 
God  of  Jacob ;  (from  thence  is  the  shepherd,  the  stone 
of  Israel ;)  even  by  the  God  of  thy  father,  who  shall 
help  thee ;  and  by  the  Almighty,  who  shall  bless  thee 
with  blessings  of  heaven  above,  blessings  of  the  deep 
that  lieth  under,  blessings  of  the  breast  and  of  the  womb  ; 
the  blessings  of  thy  father  have  prevailed  above  the  bless- 
ings of  my  progenitors,  unto  the  utmost  bounds  of  the 
everlasting  hills ;  they  shall  be  on  the  head  of  Joseph, 
and  on  the  crown  of  the  head  of  him  that  was  separate 
from  his  brethren."  (Gen.  xlix.  22-26.) 

These  verses  beautifully  exhibit  to  our  view  "the 
sufferings  of  Christ  and  the  glory  that  should  follow." 
"The  archers"  have  done  their  work;  but  God  was 
stronger  than  they.  The  true  Joseph  has  been  shot  at 
and  grievously  wounded  in  the  house  of  his  friends ;  but 
"  the  arms  of  his  hands  have  been  made  strong"  in  the 


304  GENESIS. 

power  of  resurrection,  and  faith  now  knows  him  as  the 
basis  of  all  God's  purposes  of  blessing  and  glory  in 
reference  to  the  Church,  Israel,  and  the  whole  creation. 
When  we  look  at  Joseph  in  the  pit  and  in  the  prison, 
and  look  at  him  afterwards  as  ruler  over  all  the  land  of 
Egypt,  we  see  the  difference  between  the  thoughts  of 
God  and  the  thoughts  of  men  ;  and  so  when  we  look  at 
the  cross,  and  at  "  the  throne  of  the  majesty  in  the 
heavens,"  we  see  the  same  thing, 

Nothing  ever  brought  out  the  real  state  of  man's 
heart  toward  God  but  the  coming  of  Christ.  ''If  I 
had  not  come  and  spoken  unto  them,  they  had  not  had 
sin."  (John  xv.  22.)  It  is  not  that  they  would  not 
have  been  sinners.  No:  but  "they  had  not  had  sin." 
So  he  says  in  another  place,  ''If  ye  were  blind,  ye 
should  have  no  sin,"  (John  ix.  41.)  God  came  near  to 
man  in  the  person  of  his  Son,  and  man  was  able  to  say, 
"this  is  the  heir;"  but  yet  he  said,  "come,  let  us  kill 
him."  Hence  "they  have  no  cloak  for  their  sin." 
Those  who  say  they  see  have  no  excuse.  Confessed 
blindness  is  not  at  all  the  difficulty,  but  professed  sight. 
This  is  a  truly  solemn  principle  for  a  professing  age 
like  the  present.  The  permanence  of  sin  is  connected 
with  the  mere  profession  to  see.  A  man  who  is  blind 
and  knows  it,  can  have  his  eyes  opened ;  but  what  can 
be  done  for  one  who  thinks  he  sees,  when  he  really 
does  not  ? 


CHAPTER   XXXYIIl. 

Presents  one  of  those  remarkable  circumstances  in 
which  divine  grace  is  seen  gloriously  triumphing  over 
man's  sin.  "  It  is  evident  that  our  Lord  sprang  out  of 
Juda."  (Heb.  vii.  14.)  But  how?  "Judas  begat 
Phares  and  Zara  of  Thamar.''^  (Matt.  i.  3.)  This  is 
peculiarly  striking.  God,  in  his  great  grace,  rising 
above  the  sin  and  folly  of  man,  in  order  to  bring  about 
his  own  purposes  of  love  and  mercy.  Thus,  a  little 
farther  on,  in  Matthew,  we  read,  "  David  the  king  begat 
Solomon,  of  her  that  had  been  the  wife  of  Urias."  It  is 
worthy  of  God  thus  to  act.  The  Spirit  of  God  is  con- 
ducting us  along  the  line  through  which,  according  to 
the  flesh,  Christ  came  ;  and  in  doing  so  he  gives  us  as 
links  in  the  genealogical  chain,  Tamar  and  Bathsheba ! 
How  evident  it  is  that  there  is  nothing  of  man  in  this  I 
How  plain  it  is  that  when  w6  reach  the  close  of  the 
first  chapter  of  Matthew,  it  is  "  God  manifest  in  the 
flesh"  we  find,  and  that,  too,  from  the  pen  of  the  Holy 
Ghost !  Man  could  never  have  devised  such  a  genealogy. 
It  is  entirely  divine  :  and  no  spiritual  person  can  read  it 
without  seeing  in  it  a  blessed  exhibition  of  divine  grace 
in  the  first  place,  and  of  the  divine  inspiration  of 
Matthew's  gospel  in  the  second  place, — at  least  of  his 
account  of  Christ's  genealogy  according  to  the  flesh.  I 
believe  a  comparison  of  2  Sam.  xi.  and  Gen.  xxxviii. 
with  Matt.  i.  will  furnish  the  thoughtful  Christian  with 
matter  for  a  very  sweet  and  edifying  meditation. 

U  305 


CHAPTER  XXXIX— XLY. 

In  perusing  these  interesting  sections  of  inspiration, 
we  perceive  a  remarkable  chain  of  providential  actings, 
all  tending  to  one  grand  point,  namely,  the  exultation 
of  the  man  who  had  been  in  the  pit;  and  at  the  same 
time  bringing  out  by  the  way  a  number  of  subordinate 
objects.  "  The  thoughts  of  many  hearts"  were  to  be 
"  revealed  ;"  but  Joseph  was  to  be  exalted.  "  He  called 
for  a  famine  upon  the  land  :  he  brake  the  whole  staff  of 
bread.  He  sent  a  man  before  them,  even  Joseph,  who 
was  sold  for  a  servant ;  whose  feet  they  hurt  with  fetters  ; 
he  was  laid  in  iron ;  until  the  time  that  his  word  came  ; 
the  word  of  the  Lord  tried  him.  The  king  sent  and 
loosed  him  ;  even  the  ruler  of  the  people,  and  let  him 
go  free.  He  made  him  lord  of  his  house,  and  ruler  of 
all  his  substance  ;  to  bind  his  princes  at  his  pleasure, 
and  teach  his  senators  wisdom."  (Psalm  cv.  1^-22.) 

It  is  well  to  see  that  the  leading  object  was  to  exalt 
the  one  whom  men  had  rejected ;  and  then  to  produce  in 
those  same  men  a  sense  of  their  sin  in  rejecting.  And 
how  admirably  all  this  is  effected  !  The  most  trivial 
and  the  most  important,  the  most  likely  and  the  most 
unlikely  circumstances  are  made  to  minister  to  the  de- 
velopment of  God's  purposes.  In  Chapter  xxxix.  Satan 
uses  Potiphar's  wife,  and  in  Chap.  xl.  he  uses  Pharaoh's 
chief  butler.  The  former  he  used  to  put  Joseph 
into  the  dungeon ;  and  the  latter  he  used  to  keep 
him  there,  through  his  ungrateful  negligence  ;  but  all 
306 


CHAPTERS    XXXVIL-L.  SOT 

in  vain.  God  was  behind  the  scenes.  His  finger  was 
guiding  all  the  springs  of  the  vast  machine  of  circum- 
stances, and  when  the  due  time  was  come,  he  brought 
forth  the  man  of  his  purpose,  and  set  his  feet  in  a 
large  room.  ^NTow,  this  is  ever  God's  prerogative.  He 
is  above  all,  and  can  use  all  for  the  accomplishment  of 
his  grand  and  unsearchable  designs.  It  is  sweet  to  be 
able  thus  to  trace  our  Father's  hand  and  counsel  in 
every  thing.  Sweet  to  know  that  all  sorts  of  agents  are 
at  his  sovereign  disposal ;  angels,  men,  and  devils — all 
are  under  his  omnipotent  hand,  and  all  are  made  to 
carry  out  his  purposes. 

In  the  scripture  now  before  us,  all  this  is  seen  in  a 
most  remarkable  manner.  God  visits  the  domestic 
circle  of  a  heathen  captain,  the  household  of  a  heathen 
king,  yea,  and  his  bed-side,  and  makes  the  very  visions 
of  his  head  upon  his  bed  contribute  to  the  development 
of  his  counsels.  Nor  is  it  merely  individuals  and  their 
circumstances  that  we  see  thus  taken  up  and  used  for 
the  furtherance  of  God's  ends ;  but  Egypt  and  all  the 
surrounding  countries  are  brought  into  the  scene  ;  in 
short,  the  whole  earth  was  prepared  by  the  hand  of  God 
to  be  a  theatre  on  which  to  display  the  glory  and  great- 
ness of  the  one  "who  was  separate  from  his  brethren." 
Such  are  God's  ways  ;  and-it  is  one  of  the  happiest  and 
most  elevatmg  exercises  for  the  soul  of  a  saint  to  trace 
thus  the  admirable  actings  of  his  heavenly  Father. 
How  forcibly  is  God's  providence  brought  out  in  this 
profoundly  interesting  history  of  Joseph  I  Look,  for  a 
moment,  into  the  dungeon  of  the  captain  of  the  guard. 
See  there  a  man  "  laid  in  iron,"  charged  with  a  most 
abominable    crime — the    outcast    and    oflfscouring    of 


308  GENESIS. 

society ;  and  yet  see  him,  almost  in  a  moment,  raised  to 
the  very  highest  eminence,  and  who  can  deny  that  God 
is  in  it  all  ? 

''And  Pharaoh  said  unto  Joseph,  Forasmuch  as  God 
hath  showed  thee  all  this,  there  is  none  so  discreet  and 
wise  as  thou  art :  thou  shalt  be  over  my  house,  and 
according  unto  thy  word  shall  all  my  people  be  ruled : 
only  in  the  throne  will  I  be  greater  than  thou.  And 
Pharaoh  said  unto  Joseph,  See,  I  have  set  thee  over  all 
the  land  of  Egypt.  And  Pharaoh  took  off  his  ring 
from  his  hand,  and  put  it  upon  Joseph's  hand,  and 
arrayed  him  in  vestures  of  fine  linen,  and  put  a  gold 
chain  about  his  neck.  And  he  made  him  to  ride  in  the 
second  chariot  that  he  had  :  and  they  cried  before  him, 
Bow  the  knee  :  and  he  made  him  ruler  over  all  the  land 
of  Egypt.  And  Pharaoh  said  unto  Joseph,  I  am  Pha- 
raoh, and  without  thee  shall  no  man  lift  up  his  hand  or 
foot  in  all  the  land  of  Egypt."  (Chap.  xli.  39-44.) 

Here,  then,  was  exaltation  of  no  ordinary  kind.  Con- 
trast this  with  the  pit  and  the  dungeon ;  and  mark  the 
chain  of  events  by  which  it  was  all  brought  about,  and 
you  have,  at  once,  a  marked  exhibition  of  the  hand  of 
God,  and  a  striking  type  of  the  sufferings  and  glory  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Joseph  was  taken  from  the  pit 
and  the  dungeon,  into  which  he  had  been  brought  by 
the  envy  of  his  brethren,  and  the  false  judgment  of  the 
Gentile,  to  be  ruler  over  the  whole  land  of  Egypt ; 
and  not  only  so,  but  to  be  the  channel  of  blessing,  and 
the  sustainer  of  life,  to  Israel  and  the  whole  earth. 
This  is  all  typical  of  Christ;  indeed,  a  type  could  hardly 
be  more  perfect.  We  see  a  man  laid,  to  all  intents  and 
purposes,  in  the  place  of  death,  by  the  hand  of  man, 


CHAPTERS    XXXYII.-L.  309 

and  then  raised  up  by  the  hand  of  God,  and  set  in 
dignity  and  glory.  **  Ye  men  of  Israel,  hear  these 
words :  Jesus  of  Xazareth,  a  man  approved  of  God 
among  you  by  miracles,  and  wonders,  and  signs,  which 
God  did  by  him  in  the  midst  of  you,  as  ye  yourselves 
also  know ;  him,  being  delivered  by  the  determinate 
counsel  and  foreknowledge  of  God,  ye  have  taken,  and 
by  wicked  hands  have  crucified  and  slain :  whom  God 
hath  raised  up,  having  loosed  the  pains  of  death,  be- 
cause it  was  not  possible  that  he  should  be  holden  of 
it."  (Acts.  ii.  22-24.) 

But -there  are  two  points  in  Joseph's  history  which, 
together  with  what  has  been  noticed,  render  the  type 
remarkably  perfect;  I  allude  to  his  marriage  with  a 
stranger  in  Chapter  xli.,  and  his  interview  with  his 
brethren  in  Chapter  xlv.  The  following  is  the  order  of 
events.  Joseph  presents  himself  to  his  brethren  as  one 
sent  by  the  father ;  they  reject  him,  and,  so  far  as  lies 
in  theni,  put  him  in  the  place  of  death  ;  God  takes  him 
up  from  thence,  and  raises  him  to  a  position  of  highest 
dignity :  thus  exalted,  he  gets  a  bride  ;  and  when  his 
brethren  according  to  the  flesh,  are  thoroughlj-  broken 
and  prostrate  before  him,  he  makes  himself  known  to 
them,  tranquillizes  their  hearts,  and  brings  them  into 
blessing ;  he  then  becomes  the  channel  of  blessing  to 
them  and  to  the  whole  world. 

I  shall  just  make  a  few  remarks  on  Joseph's  marriage 
and  the  restoration  of  his  brethren.  The  strange  wife 
shadows  forth  the  Church.  Christ  presented  himself 
to  the  Jews,  and  being  rejected,  took  his  seat  on  high, 
and  sent  down  the  Holy  Ghost  to  gather  out  an  elect 
Church,  composed  of  Jew  and  Gentile,  to  be  united 


310  GENESIS. 

with  him  in  heavenly  glory.  The  doctrine  of  the 
Church  has  already  been  dwelt  upon  in  our  remarks  on 
Chapter  xxiv.,  but  one  or  two  points  remain  to  be 
noticed  here.  And  first,  we  may  observe  that  Joseph^s 
Egyptian  bride  was  intimately  associated  with  him  in 
his  glory.*  She,  as  being  part  of  himself,  shared  in 
all  that  was  his.  Moreover,  she  occupied  a  place  of 
nearness  and  intimacy  known  only  to  herself.  Thus 
it  is  with  the  Church,  the  bride  of  the  Lamb.  She  is 
gathered  to  Christ  to  be  the  sharer,  at  once,  of  his 
rejection  and  his  glory.  It  is  Christ's  position  which 
gives  character  to  the  position  of  the  Church,  and  her 
position  should  ever  give  character  to  her  walk.  If  we 
are  gathered  to  Christ,  it  is  as  exalted  in  glory,  and 
not  as  humbled  down  here.  "  Henceforth  know  we  no 
man  after  the  flesh  ;  yea,  though  we  have  known  Christ 
after  the  flesh,  yet  now'  henceforth  know  we  him  no 
more."  (2  Cor.  v.  16.)  The  Church's  gathering-point 
is  Christ  in  glory.  "I,  if  I  be  lifted  up  from  th6  earth, 
will  draw  all  men  unto  me."  (John  xii.  32.) 

There  is  far  more  of  practical  value  in  the  clear 
apprehension  of  this  principle  than  might,  at  first  sight, 
appear.  It  is  ever  the  aim  of  Satan,  as  it  is  the  ten- 
dency of  our  hearts,  to  lead  us  to  stop  short  of  God's 
mark  in  every  thing,  and  specially  in  the  centre  of  our 
unity  as  Christians.  It  is  a  popular  sentiment,  that 
"the  blood  of  the  Lamb  is  the  union  of  saints,"  i.  e.,  it 
is  the  blood  which  forms  their  centre  of  unity.     Now, 


*  Joseph's  wife  sets  forth  the  Church  as  united  to  Christ  in  his 
fflory;  Moses'  wife  presents  the  Church  as  united  to  Christ  in  his 
rejection. 


CHAPTERS   XXXVII. -L.  311 

that  it  is  the  infinitely  precious  blood  of  Christ  which 
sets  us  individually  as  worshippers  in  the  presence  of 
God  is  blessedly  true.  The  blood,  therefore,  forms  the  - 
divine  basis  of  our  fellowship  with  God.  But  when  we 
come  to  speak  of  the  centre  ofour  unity  as  a  church,  we 
must  see  that  the  Holy  Ghost  gathers  us  to  the  Person 
of  a  risen  and  glorified  Christ ;  and  this  grand  truth 
gives  character — high  and  holy  character — to  our  as- 
sociation as  Christians.  If  we  take  lower  ground  than 
this  we  must  inevitably  form  a  sect  or  an  ism.  If  we 
gather  round  an  ordinance,  however  important,  or  round 
a  truth,  however  indisputable,  we  make  something  less 
than  Christ  our  centre. 

Hence,  it  is  more  important  to  ponder  the  practical 
consequences  which  flow  out  of  the  truth  of  our  being 
gathered  to  a  risen  and  glorified  Head  in  the  heavens. 
If  Christ  were  on  earth,  we  should  be  gathered  to  him 
here  ;  but,  inasmuch  as  he  is  hidden  in  the  heavens,  the 
Church  takes  her  character  from  his  position  there. 
Hence,  Christ  could  say,  "  They  are  not  of  the  world, 
even  as  I  am  not  of  the  world ;"  and  again,  "  For  their 
sakes  I  sanctify  myself,  that  they  also  might  be  sancti- 
fied through  the  truth."  (John  xvii.  16,  19.)  So,  also, 
in  1  Peter,  we  read,  "  To  whom  coming,  as  unto  a  living 
stone,  disallowed  indeed  of  men,  but  chosen  of  God  and 
precious  ;  ye  also,  as  lively  stones,  are  built  up  a  spiritual 
house,  an  holy  priesthood,  to  offer  up  spiritual  sacrifices, 
acceptable  to  God  by  Jesus  Christ."  (Chap.  ii.  4,  5.) 
If  we  are  gathered  to  Christ  we  must  be  gathered  to 
him  as  he  is,  and  where  he  is ;  and  the  more  the 
Spirit  of  God  leads  our  souls  into  the  understanding  of 
this,  the  more  clearly  we  shall  see  the  character  of  walk 


312  GENESIS. 

that  becomes  us.  Joseph's  bride  was  united  to  him, 
not  in  the  pit  or  the  dungeon,  but  in  the  dignity  and 
glory  of  his  position  in  Egypt ;  and,  in  her  case,  we 
can  have  no  difficulty  in  perceiving  the  vast  difference 
between  the  two  positions' 

But  farther  we  read,  "And  unto  Joseph  were  born 
two  sons,  before  the  years  of  famine  came."  There  was 
a  time  of  trouble  coming;  but  previous  thereto  the 
fruit  of  his  union  appeared.  The  children  whom  God 
had  given  him  were  called  into  existence  previous  to  this 
time  of  trial.  So  will  it  be  in  reference  to  the  Church. 
All  the  members  thereof  will  be  called  out,  the  whole 
body  will  be  completed  and  gathered  to  the  Head  in 
heaven,  previous  to  ''the  great  tribulation"  which  shall 
come  upon  all  the  earth. 

We  shall  now  turn  for  a  little  to  Joseph's  interview 
Avith  his  brethren,  in  which  we  shall  find  some  points 
of  resemblance  to  Israel's  history  in  the  latter  day. 
During  the  period  that  Joseph  was  hidden  from  the 
view  of  his  brethren,  these  latter  were  called  to  pass 
through  deep  and  searching  trial, — through  intensely 
I)ainful  exercises  of  conscience.  One  of  these  exercises 
is  poured  out  in  the  following  words  :  "And  they  said 
one  to  another,  We  are  verily  guilty  concerning  our 
brother,  in  that  we  saw  the  anguish  of  his  soul, 
when  he  besought  us,  and  we  would  not  hear;  there- 
fore is  this  distress  come  upon  us.  And  Reuben  an- 
swered them,  saying,  Spake  I  not  unto  you,  saying,  Do 
not  sin  against  the  child ;  and  ye  would  not  hear  ? 
therefore,  behold,  also,  his  blood  is  required.''^  (Chap, 
xlii.  21,  22.) 

Again,  in   Chap.   xliv.   we  read,  "And  Judah  said, 


CHAPTER    XXXYII.-L.  313 

What  shall  we  say  unto  my  Lord  ?  What  shall  we 
speak  ?  or  how  shall  we  clear  ourselves  ?  God  hath 
found  out  the  iniquity  of  thy  servants."  None  can 
teach  like  God.  He  alone  can  produce  in  the  conscience 
the  true  sense  of  sin,  and  bring  the  soul  down  into  the 
profound  depths  of  its  own  condition  in  his  presence. 
This  is  all  his  own  work.  Men  run  on  in  their  career 
of  guilt,  heedless  of  every  thing,  until  the  arrow  of  the 
Almighty  pierces  their  conscience,  and  then  they  are  led 
into  those  searchings  of  heart,  and  intense  exercises  of 
soul,  which  can  only  find  relief  in  the  rich  resources  of 
redeeming  love.  Joseph's  brethren  had  no  conception 
of  all  that  was  to  flow  to  them  from  their  actings  toward 

him.     "  They  took  him  and  cast  him  into   a  pit 

and  they  sat  down  to  eat  bread."  "Woe  to  them  .... 
that  drink  wine  in  bowls,  and  anoint  themselves  with 
the  chief  ointments  ;  but  they  are  not  grieved  for  the 
affliction  of  Joseph."     (Amos  vi.  6.) 

However,  God  produced  grief  of  heart,  and  exercises 
of  conscience,  and  that  in  a  most  wonderful  way.  Years 
rolled  on,  and  these  brethren  might  have  vainly  im- 
agined that  all  was  right ;  but,  then,  "  seven  years  of 
plenty,  and  seven  years  of  scarcity  !"  What  did  they 
mean  ?  Who  sent  them  ?  And  for  what  w^ere  they 
designed  ?  Admirable  providence  !  Unsearchable  wis- 
dom I  The  famine  reaches  to  Canaan,  and  the  calls  of 
hunger  actually  bring  the  guilty  brethren  to  the  feet  of 
the  injured  Joseph  !  How  marked  is  the  display  of 
God's  own  hand  in  all  this  !  There  they  stand,  with  the 
arrow  of  conviction  thrust  through  and  through  their 
consciences,  in  the  presence  of  the  man  whom  they  had, 
"  with  wicked  hands,"  cast  into  the  pit.  Surely  their 
21 


314  GENESIS. 

Bin  had  found  them  out ;  but  it  was  m  the  presence  of 
Joseph.     Blessed  place  I 

"  Then  Joseph  could  not  refrain  himself  before  all 
them  that  stood  by  him ;  and  he  cried,  Cause  every  man 
to  go  out  from  me.  And  there  stood  no  man  with  him, 
while  Joseph  made  himself  known  unto  his  brethren." 
(Chap.  xlv.  1.)  No  stranger  was  allowed  to  witness 
this  sacred  scene.  What  stranger  could  understand  or 
appreciate  it  ?  We  are  here  called  to  witness,  as  it 
were,  divinely-wrought  conviction  in  the  presence  of 
divine  grace  ;  and  we  may  say,  when  these  two  come 
together  there  is  an  easy  settlement  of  every  question. 

"  And  Joseph  said  unto  his  brethren,  Come  near  to 
me,  I  pray  you.  And  they  came  near.  And  he  said, 
I  aiji  Joseph  your  brother,  whom  ye  sold  into  Egypt. 
!N'ow  therefore  be  not  grieved,  nor  angry  with  yourselves, 
that  you  sold  me   hither ;  for  God  did  send  me  before 

you,  to  preserve  life And  G-od  sent  me  before  you, 

to  p»reserve  you  a  posterity  in  the  earth,  and  to  save 
your  lives  by  a  great  deliverance.  So  now  it  was  not  you 
sent  me  hither,  but  God."  This  is  grace  indeed,  setting 
the  convicted  conscience  perfectly  at  rest.  The  brethren 
had,  already,  most  thoroughly  condemned  themselves, 
and  hence  Joseph  had  only  to  pour  in  the  blessed  balm 
into  their  broken  hearts.  -This  is  all  sweetly  typical  of 
God's  dealings  with  Israel,  in  the  latter  day,  when 
they  shall  look  upon  him  whom  they  have  pierced,  and 
mourn."  Then  they  shall  prove  the  reality  of  divine 
grace,  and  the  cleansing  efficacy  of  that  "fountain  which 
shall  be  opened  to  the  house  of  David,  and  to  the  in- 
habitants of  Jerusalem,  for  sin  and  for  un cleanness." 
(Zech.  xiii.  1.) 


CHAPTERS    xxxvn.-L.  315 

In  the  third  chapter  of  Acts,  we  find  the  Spirit  of 
God  in  Peter  seeking  to  produce  this  divine  conviction 
in  the  consciences  of  the  Jews.  "  The  God  of  Abra- 
ham, and  of  Isaac,  and  of  Jacob,  the  God  of  our  fathers, 
hath  glorified  his  son  Jesus ;  whom  ye  delivered  up, 
and  denied  him  in  the  presence  of  Pilate,  when  he  was 
determined  to  let  him  go.  But  ye  denied  the  holy 
One  and  the  just,  and  desired  a  murderer  to  be  granted 
unto  you  ;  and  killed  the  Prince  of  life,  whom  God 
hath  raised  from  the  dead,  whereof  we  are  witnesses." 
These  statements  were  designed  to  elicit  from  the  hearts 
and  lips  of  the  hearers  the  confession  made  by  Joseph's 
brethren — "We  are  verily  guilty."  Then  follows  the 
grace.  "And  now,  brethren,  I  wot  that  through  igno- 
rance ye  did  it,  as  did  also  your  rulers.  But  those 
things,  which  God  before  had  showed  by  the  mouth  of 
all  his  prophets,  that  Christ  should  suffer,  he  hath  so 
fulfilled.  Repent  ye,  therefore,  and  be  converted,  that 
your  sins  may  be  blotted  out,  when  the  times  of  re- 
freshing shall  come  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord." 
We  here  see  that,  although  the  Jews  really  carried  out 
the  enmity  of  their  hearts  in  the  death  of  Christ,  as 
did  also  Joseph's  brethren"'^'in  their  treatment  of  him, 
yet,  the  grace  of  God  to  each  is  seen  in  this,  that  all  is 
shown  to  be  decreed  and  foreshown  of  God  for  their 
blessing.  This  is  perfect  grace,  surpassing  all  human 
thought ;  and  all  that  is  needed  in  order  to  the  enjoy- 
ment thereof,  is  a  conscience  truly  convicted  by  the 
truth  of  God.  Those  who  could  say,  "  We  are  verily 
guilty,"  could  rightly  understand  the  words  of  precious 
grace,  "It  was  not  you,  but  God."  Thus  it  must  ever 
be.     The  soul  that  has  thoroughly  pronounced  its  own 


316  GENESIS. 

condemnation,  is  prepared  to  understand  and  appreciate 
God's  pardon. 

The  remaining  chapters  of  this  book  are  taken  up 
with  the  removal  of  Jacob  and  his  family  into  Egypt, 
and  their  settlement  there  ;  Joseph's  actings  during  the 
remaining  years  of  famine  ;  Jacob's  blessing  the  twelve 
patriarchs ;  his  death  and  burial.  We  shall  not  dwell 
in  detail  upon  these  things,  though  the  spiritual  mind 
may  find  much  to  feed  upon  therein.*  Jacob's  ground- 
less fears  dissipated  by  the  sight  of  his  son  alive,  and 
exalted, — the  peculiar  grace  of  God  seen  in  its  over- 
ruling  power,  yet  evidently  mingled   with  judgment, 

*  The  close  of  Jacob's  career  stands  in  most  pleasing  contrast 
with  all  the  previous  scenes  of  his  eventful  history.  It  reminds 
one  of  a  serene  evening,  after  a  tempestuous  day :  the  sun,  which 
during  the  day  had  been  hidden  from  view  by  clouds,  mists,  and 
fogs,  sets  in  majesty  and  brightness,  gilding  with  his  beams  the 
western  sky,  and  holding  out  the  cheering  prospect  of  a  bright  to- 
morrow. Thus  is  it  with  our  aged  patriarch.  The  supplanting,  the 
bargain-making,  the  cunning,  the  management,  the  shifting,  the 
shuffling,  the  unbelieving  selfish  fears,  —  all  those  dark  clouds  of 
nature  and  of  earth  seem  to  have  passed  away,  and  he  comes  forth 
in  all  the  calm  elevation  of  faith,  to  bestow  blessings,  and  impart 
dignities,  in  that  holy  skilfulness^hich  communion  with  God  can 
alone  impart. 

Though  nature's  eyes  are  dim,  faith's  vision  is  sharp.  He  is  not 
to  be  deceived  as  to  the  relative  positions  assigned  to  Ephraim  and 
Manasseh  in  the  counsels  of  God.  He  has  not,  like  his  father  Isaac, 
in  Chapter  xxvii.,  to  "  tremble  very  exceedingly,"  in  view  of  an  almost 
fatal  mistake.  Quite  the  reverse.  His  intelligent  reply  to  his  less 
instructed  son  is,  "  I  know  it,  my  son,  I  know  it."  The  power  of 
sense  has  not,  as  in  Isaac's  case,  dimmed  his  spiritual  vision.  He  has 
been  taught  in  the  school  of  experience  the  importance  of  keeping 
close  to  the  divine  purpose,  and  nature's  influence  cannot  move  Him 
from  thence. 

In   Chapter  xlviii.  11,  we  have  a  very  beautiful   example   of  the 


CHAPTERS  XXX^^I. — L.  317 

inasmuch  as  Jacob's  sons  have  to  go  down  into  the 
very  place  whither  they  had  sent  their  brother.  Again, 
Joseph's  remarkable  grace  throughout :  though  exalted 
by  Pharaoh,  he  hides  himself,  as  it  were,  and  binds  the 
people  in  abiding  obligation  to  the  king.  Pharaoh 
says,  "  Go  to  Joseph,"  and  Joseph,  in  effect,  says,  "  all 
you  have  and  all  you  are  belong  to  Pharaoh."  This  is 
sweetly  interesting,  and  leads  the  soul  on  to  that  glori- 
ous time  when  the  Son  of  man  shall  take  the  reins  of 
government  into  his  own  hand,  by  divine  appointment, 
and  rule  over  the  whole  redeemed  creation,  his  Church 
■ — the  bride  of  the  Lamb — occupying  the  nearest  and 
most  intimate  place,  according  to  the  eternal  counsels. 
The  house  of  Israel,  fully  restored,  shall  be  nourished 

mode  in  which  our  God  ever  rises  above  all  our  thoughts,  and 
proves  himself  better  than  all  our  fears.  "And  Israel  said  unto 
Joseph,  I  had  not  thought  to  see  thy  face;  and,  k),  God  hath  showed 
me  also  thy  seed."  To  nature's  view,  Joseph  was  dead;  whereas 
in  God's  view  he  was  alive,  and  seated  in  the  highest  place  of 
authority,  next  the  throne.  "  Eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard, 
neither  hath  it  entered  into  the  heart  of  man,  the  things  which  God 
hath  prepared  for  them  that  love  him."  (1  Cor.  ii.  9.)  Would  that 
our  souls  could  rise  higher  in  their  apprehension  of  God  and  his 
ways. 

It  is  interesting  to  notice  the  way  in  which  the  titles  "  Jacob" 
and  "Israel"  are  introduced  in  the  close  of  the  Book  of  Genesis; 
as,  for  example,  "  One  told  Jacob,  and  said,  Behold  thy  son  Joseph 
Cometh  unto  thee :  and  Israel  strengthened  himself,  and  sat  upon 
the  bed."  Then,  it  is  immediately  added,  "  And  Jacob  said  unto 
Joseph,  God  Almighty  appeared  unto  me  at  Luz."  Now,  we  know, 
there  is  nothing  in  scripture  without  its  specific  meaning,  and 
hence  this  interchange  of  names  contains  somej  instruction.  lu 
general,  it  may  be  remarked,  that  "Jacob"  sets  forth  the  depth 
to  which  God  had  descended;  "Israel,"  the  height  to  which  Jacob 
tfoa  raised. 


318  GENESIS. 

and  sustained  by  his  gracious  hand ;  and  all  the  earth 
shall  know  the  deep  blessedness  of  being  under  his 
sceptre.  Finally,  having  brought  every  thing  into  sub- 
jection, he  shall  hand  back  the  reins  of  government 
into  the  hands  of  God,  that  "he  may  be  all  in  all." 
From  all  this  we  may  form  some  idea  of  the  richness 
and  copiousness  of  Joseph's  history.  In  short,  it  sets 
before  us  distinctly  in  type  the  mission  of  the  Son  to 
the  house  of  Israel, — his  humiliation  and  rejection, — 
the  deep  exercises  and  final  repentance  and  restoration  of 
Israel, — the  union  of  the  Church  with  Christ, — his  ex- 
altation and  universal  government,  and,  finally,  it  points 
us  forward  to  the  time  when  "  God  shall  be  all  in. all." 
It  is  quite  needless  to  remark,  that  all  these  things  are 
largely  taught  and  fully  established  throughout  the 
entire  canon  of  inspiration :  we  do  not  therefore  build 
their  truth  upon  Joseph^s  history ;  still  it  is  edifying  to 
find  such  early  foreshado wings  of  these  precious  truths  : 
it  proves  to  us  the  divine  unity  which  pervades  holy 
scripture.  Whether  we  turn  to  Genesis  or  to  Ephesians, 
—to  the  prophets  of  the  Old  or  those  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, — we  learn  the  same  truths.     "  All  scripture  is 

GIVEN   BY   INSPIRATION   OF    GOD." 


BS1235.M1581863 

Notes  on  the  book  of  Genesis. 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  00042  4335 


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